Discordant Tritone
by Akeppi
Summary: No one is ever born a monster. Not even the most diabolical people. I used to be a normal human being and lived an okay life. That is until Orochimaru got a hold of me. All I had been doing was trying to find my sister! Sure, I may have done some pretty terrible things in the process, but not enough to deserve this. I didn't want to serve him, but it wasn't like I had a choice...
1. 1

What the hell am I even doing here? You know what, let's just get this over with.

I'm Tayuya of the North Gate, member of the former Sound Four and Five. You might have heard of me and the rest of us: Kimimaro, Sakon and Ukon, Kidōmaru, and Jirōbō. If you haven't, I'm sure you have heard of the man we worked under and, in my case, still do. That's right, Lord Orochimaru. Only mindless worms don't know who he is.

So why am I here? Well, I guess it's because I'm supposed to tell you all my life story. I don't know what it is exactly with people wanting to know about our lives anyway, some to the point of obsession. I don't even know if mine's all that interesting. All I know is that I have to do this, otherwise, Lord Orochimaru will get on my case. Trust me, you do _**not** _want to piss him off. Take it from someone who found out the hard way...and still does years later. I never will learn, but I can't help that. It's just who I am.

Enough of this for now. I still need to decide what exactly I want to tell you and what I want to remain a secret because as I've found out, information is a lethal weapon in the wrong hands.

...Oh, shit. He's glaring at me. I swear he can tell that I wrote nothing important and am not really planning on continuing this. Damnit...never mind then. For whatever it's worth, I guess it's best if I start at the beginning. It's less complicated that way. I didn't tell you my full name the first time I introduced myself. It's not something I'm fond of remembering since it makes me remember how good life used to be. I am Tayuya Suzuda, daughter of Kotone from the Suzuda Clan. Our clan was a small one, unknown to many outside of the Land of Rice Paddies. Those who did know us knew us only for one thing: our skill as musicians. We were not a clan of shinobi, although a few every now and then would use their skills for such purposes. Our skill with our instruments was a coveted one by some, especially by those who knew of our hiden technique. Our clan is capable, through the use of music, to summon creatures called Doki to our sides to aid us. Strong and quick for their size, they have worm-like spirits inside of them that constantly seek the physical energy of their prey, though they remain dormant in the Doki unless forcefully released. Of course, our clan kept it a very closely guarded secret. Most of us wanted nothing more than to be left in peace, a stance that refused to change even when war broke out. "We can't let ourselves be dragged into the fighting," my father, Isamu, told my older sister Setsuko and me. "Especially with the two of you having inherited your mother's lineage and skill." Setsuko had argued tirelessly with him, wanting nothing more than to prove her skills. She had never been one to hide from any fight, no matter how risky. But our father was stubborn and continued to deny her.

So, instead of fighting, we were kept confined within our small home. If he wouldn't let ten-year-old Setsuko fight, there was no way he'd let the scrawny little six-year-old I was. Not that I minded then. I spent my time playing the flute my mother had given me for my sixth birthday, learning the different fingerings to make the many different notes spring to life. I had only been playing for a month, yet I already could play through all the different scales. I still couldn't play through three octaves like Setsuko, but I didn't let that stop me. My goal was to reach her skill...and surpass her. It kept me going, even despite the fact that she would keep getting better too as time went on.

Most days I was by myself, but sometimes Setsuko would come when I was practicing, usually angry after having argued with our father. She would watch me play, silently simmering with barely contained rage that slowly dissipated as she listened to the music. "Your music never fails to calm me down," she said one day after an extremely upsetting argument. "Hey, come outside with me," she said with a devious grin. "I want to teach you something really cool."

I had followed her outside, wondering what she wanted to show me. It was that day when she explained to me the Suzuda Hiden and summoned a Doki for me to see. I had stared in awe at it, its long gray hair covering its face. The monstrous creature was only slightly taller than her, but she explained earnestly, "It's been growing every day. I don't know how big it'll get, but I'm sure it'll be massive!"

"Did you ask Mother about it? Or Father? They would know."

Her face had turned pale when she replied, "No. I don't want them to know I've been practicing this. Father especially. He'd think I'm gonna run away and join the fighting."

"Are you?" She didn't say anything at first, which was all the answer I needed. "You are, aren't you?"

"I-"

"Don't leave me!" I cried out, grabbing onto her tightly.

"I'm not leaving right now, little Tayu," she said, chuckling and patting my head. I grinned happily, knowing she wouldn't leave me alone. "Um, so can you keep it a secret? Just between the two of us."

I agreed and had asked her if she could teach me how to summon them too, and with that, she taught me the melody to summon the creature. At first, it was extremely difficult, as some of the notes I had just learned and the complexity of the melody was beyond what I had been used to. But at long last, I had succeeded, three similar creatures to my sister's appearing. They were only a third of Setsuko's Doki's size, but Setsuko had gaped, impressed. "How did you summon three of them at once?"

Truth be told, I still don't know how I did it or continue to do it. There are three varieties of Doki, Mizaru (the one my sister could summon), the blindfolded Kikazaru, and the armless Iwazaru, but one Doki at a time was seen as the limit. Two was unheard of, although some could switch which variety they could use. Yet somehow I had summoned all three at once. I had managed to surpass my sister's skill, and for the rest of the day, I had been extremely pleased with myself, even if I still wasn't as good a flautist...yet.

* * *

 **I am shocked that I am even sharing any of this.** **I originally wrote this just for myself and a couple of trusted friends/family-in-all-but-blood to read. But when I was randomly scrolling through Tayuya fanfictions on here, I realized how few existed that were not some Naruto x Tayuya fanfic. I personally am not a fan of the pairing, so my choices to read became severely limited. There are a few good ones in that mix, including _The Melancholy of the Sound Four_ by danzouu (I can only read so far into it though for my own reasons, but it honestly is pretty good at the beginning and ended up being inspiration for me later), _Remembering Sunday_ by EyeOfMyStorm (I'm not a big fan of ships involving Tayuya and any non-evil characters, but this story is one I can get behind), and _To Care for a Wretch_ by Maxtron01 (while it focuses on Gaara, I have thoroughly enjoyed the story thus far).**

 **So, my mind process. So few fanfics of my favorite kunoichi. Many of these stories are a pairing I don't care for. And then I thought, "Perhaps I should post mine on here." And here we are.**

 **Originally, this was actually two parts instead of one. But then I saw how short the first part looked on here and realized maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all to do just the first part. You might be able to pick it out easily enough, but oh well. There will be more times when this happens, for similar reasons. Well, I could probably make it much better and longer, since I had started writing this half a year ago. I'd like to say I've improved over that time if the most recent part I've written up to this point is any indication (this will be chapter 15 when I get that out).**

 **I will put this out here right now: if you're going to leave a scathing review with no constructive criticism whatsoever, don't waste your time; just move on with your life and read something else. I simply will not tolerate it. I've had experiences in the past where, after having read reviews and had some rather stupidly overcritical ones (I'm looking right at you,** **Pokémon), I stopped writing. I'd love to say it wasn't because of those reviews because, if you know that area of FanFiction, you probably know of this group of people who leave reviews that are totally bogus and are entirely negative. So, if you want to leave a review, go ahead. But please, for god's sake, don't leave a review like "omg this sucks so much go kill yourself" or some shit like that. I cannot let my motivation for this go down the drain when I write this solely for myself and my "family", not for the rest of the world.**

 **Oh, and yes, I _do_ know how to play the flute, and the piccolo too. I played the former for 9 years now, and the latter I started playing this year for marching band. Random fact that I felt like pointing out.**

 **Randomness I noticed right now:**

 **-I published this on Naruto's birthday. Entirely by coincidence.**

 **-The month and day sound like Tenten.**

 **Okay, now I'm done.**


	2. 2

**I know you're not amused, Lord Orochimaru. When are you ever amused when it comes to me? Never. That's when.**

* * *

Most days, it was exactly as our father wanted it: calm and peaceful. Eventually, Setsuko had stopped begging to fight, mellowing out and realizing that violence wasn't the answer to her boredom. Our parents trained us to defend ourselves, but only for self-defense. We understood that starting a fight was a good way to end up hurt, especially without knowing what the other person could be capable of. Setsuko took to this much quicker than me. I had always been a thrill seeker, and my temper got the best of me a lot. It wasn't uncommon for me to come home from school with a few scrapes and bruises from my latest fight. I did win most of them, by the way.

This peace continued on for the next three years. It was a warm summer day, and our parents were just about to head to the nearby village to shop. Setsuko was outside with them to say goodbye while I was inside, happily playing away at my flute. When I didn't have school, I played that flute day in and day out, only really stopping to eat and sleep. It was a hobby that had turned into a fervent obsession. Despite my intense focus on playing every note right, I was broken out of my musical trance by the sound of a familiar woman's voice interrupted by a shrill scream.

"Kotone!" My father yelled, and it was then I knew something was horribly wrong.

I ran to peek through the window and cried out upon seeing my mother lying in a pool of her own blood at a man's feet, several kunai sticking out of her. Three other men stood behind the first. "You know what we want," the first man demanded, pointing towards my sister with a wicked grin. "Hand over the girl and we'll spare your life."

Without uttering a word, Father gave his answer by rushing straight at the man. He managed to grab a hold of him, but his eyes widened as he stared down at the sword skewering his abdomen. He crumbled beside Mother, just as lifeless as the woman he loved.

Setsuko glared at them, rage coursing through her. "I won't let you get your way!" she yelled defiantly, pulling out her flute and summoning her Doki. In the three years that had passed, it had come to be a hulking creature, towering over them all. As she continued to play, the Doki advanced with unreal speed and lashed out with its club, forcing the men back. The battle continued on, the Doki managing to strike a couple of the men to send them flying back from the impact. It looked like she would manage to hold them off, and, if it hadn't been for the first man's clone, she would have. Using the clone, the real one had snuck up on her and forced her flute out of her hands before shoving her to the ground. Two of the other men grabbed her arms, though the third was noticeably absent. I hadn't known at the time, but he was as dead as my parents, his brains pouring out of his smashed skull. Served that bastard right.

As they dragged my sister along, the latter screaming and cursing all the while, I watched with my innocent wide eyes, body frozen in terror. I wanted nothing more than to help rescue her from her captors, yet I was powerless to do so. Even with three Doki, mine were nowhere near the size of Setsuko's one and I still hadn't mastered control over them. Fighting these men now would have been suicide and would have only earned me Setsuko's fate or, worse, my parents'. There was no way I could have done what Setsuko could not. All I could do was watch, tears streaming down my face for the family I had lost in just one day.

I had spent the following days wallowing in my own sorrow, so much so that I didn't even touch my flute during that time. It was at the end of the fourth day when I had decided I had had enough of sitting around crying. Grabbing what supplies I could carry on my back, I abandoned my home, flute in hand, to find my sister. I **would** find her, no matter how long it took or the cost to myself.

* * *

A year and a half had passed, but there had been no sign of the red-haired girl who was my beloved sister. No matter where I looked or who I asked, nobody had any information. I wasn't about to give up, though. Never would I accept the fact that my sister was likely lost to me. I've always hated losing, and giving up was basically admitting defeat. I'd never do it.

I was in a small village in the eastern part of the Land of Wind when I finally found the answer I needed. I once again asked around about a red-haired girl with a flute. At first, my search was just as futile as before. That changed when a wrinkled prune of a woman told me if anyone knew of this girl, it would be her husband. I followed her to their home, where she left me to talk to him. When a man who looked like he would keel over dead any second opened the door, I once again asked of Setsuko. This time, the answer wasn't a simple "no" or "leave me alone".

"Red-haired flute girl?" he asked, gesturing me inside. I hesitated for a second before following him, nodding as confirmation. "Well, I think I know who you're talking about. Gossip travels fast in this village, and I'm the first to hear about it. You came to the right person."

"Just tell me where she is," I said, rolling my eyes at this man's bragging. Couldn't he see I had no time for this? I needed my information so I could find her now, not sit around wasting my time chatting with this old geezer.

"Patience, child. There's no need to rush."

"There's every need for me to hurry! I've been looking for her for years now! So tell me where she is!"

"Calm down and let me tell you then." I glared in annoyance but said nothing more. He slowly continued, "While I haven't seen her for myself or know her name, I've heard of that kind of girl in a small village in the Land of Sound. She's a strong kunoichi, that one."

"Land of Sound?" I asked, confused. I had never heard of such a place. Not that I followed such things now. Setsuko had taken up all of my focus, so much so that I had no time for stupid small talk and useless gossip.

"Yeah. Used to be the Land of Rice Paddies up until a couple weeks ago. I don't really know the details," he admitted, ashamed.

"Okay, whatever. Just show me where this village is and I'll be on my way."

He took his sweet time rummaging through the contents on a shelf. Finally, he brought out a map that looked older than him. Squinting a bit, he pointed to a small dot in the northern part of the Land of Rice Paddies...no, Land of Sound now. "If you don't mind me asking, why is this girl so important to you?"

"She's my sister," I replied coldly, turning to leave, "and I'm going to find her."

"It's almost dark. Why don't you spend the night and head out in the morning? She'll still be there tomorrow."

"No. I'm leaving now."

"You sure you should do that now? Kids these days. You're all so in a hurry to get what you want, yet if you slowed down a little you'd get what you want in no time. It's dangerous to go alone. You shouldn't be trying to go there by yourself."

Something inside of me snapped. I froze, my back to him. "Is it?" I said, my tone emotionless.

"Well, yeah. There are all sorts of monsters out there."

I turned back around to face him, my flute up to my lips. Before he could move away, I had him trapped in my genjutsu. "Let me tell you something, you sniveling old fool," I growled, pulling out a kunai knife I had acquired over my journey. "Whatever monsters might be out there, I'm their worst nightmare." My lips pulled into a smirk as I knelt down in front of him. "Let the monsters come to me. I'm not afraid of them, though you should be. Especially when their queen is right in front of you." Grinning, I plunged the kunai into his chest. Blood splattered my hands and clothes as his body convulsed, dropping lifeless to the ground. Standing up, I wiped my kunai of the blood and walked calmly out of his house, a destination in place and thoughts of finally reuniting with Setsuko running rampant in my mind.

Without any hesitation, I had made my way hastily to the village, leaving chaos in my wake. All the people, innocent or not, who tried to stop me from reaching my sister laid dead on the ground, corpses a rotten mess. They had been no match for my genjutsu, and it had been all too easy to murder them while their tortured screams from imagined pain rang in my ears. I felt no remorse for the blood on my hands. It was either kill or be killed, and death was something I became too well acquainted with. I was not about to die, not when I was so close to finding her.

It was about a week after my eleventh birthday when I had arrived. By this point in time, I had come to see anyone as a potential threat and an obstacle between me and my goal. I had massacred the village just before it a few days prior simply because a man had asked if I wished to spend the night, kind of like how the old fool in the Land of Wind had. In hindsight, I'm not particularly proud of my recklessness, but nothing can take away my pride over how powerful I had become in just two years.

I glared at the village surrounding me. It was nothing special by any means other than my sister being here. I walked up to the first bastard unlucky enough to be in my line of sight and said, "I'm looking for someone. A red-haired girl named Setsuko. She's my sister, and I was told she was here. Tell me where she is. Now." The man denied ever seeing any girl with red hair in the village, but he was a fool to think I'd believe that load of crap. He was dead before his body even hit the ground. The people closest to me gasped, backing away from me. I reveled in the fear that I caused these worms. "Don't play dumb with me," I snarled, gaze shifting between each of the cowering villagers. "I know she's here somewhere, and if you don't tell me where she is now I'll just kill each one of you until you do!" I gave them a few seconds to decide it was in their best interest to tell me what I wanted to know, but it seemed they were either too stupid to realize that or they actually didn't know. I vehemently denied the second option, because I knew she was here somewhere. "Hmph. Fine. Looks like I'll have to do things the hard way."

Pulling the kunai out of the dead man's neck, I turned to face my prey, the grin on my face only widening upon seeing their terror spike. Those villagers stood no chance against me. It wasn't long until I was once again surrounded by the dead bodies of defenseless people. I went after the last woman of the original group, but I was forced to duck upon hearing the sound of something flying towards me. I spared a quick glance at the shuriken stuck in the wall before turning around, a crazed look coming to my eyes. "Finally, an actual challenge," I said with glee to the three ninjas facing me. I brought out my flute, knowing I wouldn't be able to kill these guys with a simple kunai. "No one's survived the sound of my flute!" Goaded by my words, the three ninjas came at me all at once, but they weren't quick enough. They hadn't even halved the distance between us before I began to play, my melody forcing them to a stop. Their screams were music to my ears. Continuing to play, I closed the distance between us. "Such a shame. You were just as much of trash as these people...and I thought this was supposed to be your job. Guess whoever trained you did a terrible job at it," I remarked, shoving the kunai forward into the first ninja.

What I didn't expect was for the ninja before me to block my killing strike.

I leaped back to put some distance between us, not allowing him an opportunity to strike back. "How did you escape?" I demanded.

"What?" he asked.

Was he honestly so stupid? "How are you still alive, you piece of crap?" I growled, whatever patience I had remaining with this rat wearing thin.

"What?" he asked, louder than before, pointing to his ear. I could just barely see the earplug buried in his ear.

"Shit," I muttered, summoning my three Doki to my side. They couldn't just be some random ninjas who had happened to be passing through. From the precaution they took, it was much more likely that they had been sent after me. Just what I needed, these buffoons chasing me everywhere while I just wanted to find my family. They would pay for their insolence!

"You're good with that flute, I'll give you that," one of the other ninjas remarked, having been freed as well from the genjutsu, "but if your opponent can't hear you, what good are your little nightmares?"

"You're one to talk," I snapped back, "considering how you were just caught up in it a few seconds ago." His face twitched in anger, and I continued on with a satisfied smirk. "Trust me when I say you'll wish that you were dead once my Doki are finished with you." I started playing, manipulating each Doki to attack a different ninja. My control over them had improved since I had left my home, though it was nowhere near Setsuko's level. Controlling three was so much harder than controlling one, but I knew I'd need all three for this fight.

If I had used just one Doki, I may have lost to these shinobi, but with all three the fight was a piece of cake. They quickly fell to the might of my Doki and laid before me, too weak to continue fighting, especially the one who had the nerve to have had earplugs. I had made sure that he would be the first to fall. "Not so tough now, are you?" I gloated, once again wielding my kunai. My mind screamed for their demise at my hands in as gruesome a death as possible. I was all too happy to oblige, but some sane part in me caused me to hesitate. Perhaps they knew where Setsuko was? "I'm feeling generous. I might let you scum live...if you can tell me where Setsuko is." I could tell the name was familiar to at least earplug-guy. "I was told she'd be here. Where is she?" I finished, voice almost a growl.

"You must have heard wrong. She ain't here, girly," earplug-guy replied, snickering. "She hasn't been here in months."

"Then where is she now?" I snarled.

"She **was** in a village several days north of here a couple weeks ago, but she could be gone for all I know." Upon the glare I gave him, he continued, "That's all I know, I swear!" I held my gaze for a couple more seconds before I threw the kunai, the blade striking him right between his eyes.

"Taguchi!" one of the others called out as their ally fell dead to the ground. "You said we'd live if-"

"Well I didn't like his stupid answer," I rebutted, turning my fierce glare upon the ninja that had spoken. "Now scram, if you want to live yourselves." Like the cowards they were, they scurried away like dogs with their tails between their legs. Not wanting to waste any more time there, I left that village immediately to head north, angry at everyone for having to go even farther just to find Setsuko. All I could think about was that I **would** find her, no matter how many of these stupid villages I had to massacre to do it.

What I didn't realize then was that I should have just killed all three of them and abandoned my search for the time being. Maybe then I wouldn't have gotten myself in the mess I'm in now.

* * *

 **I so had to make a Legend of Zelda reference. And while editing I threw in a Xenoblade one too. They're hidden in this part.**

 **So I came up with a schedule I'm gonna work with. This part doesn't follow it because I got impatient. I have up until the fifteenth part (Chapter 15) already fully written and all they really need is editing and proofreading (and in early writing cases improved, but that doesn't take long either). With that said, I will be updating this weekly on Tuesdays (starting Tuesday, October 23, NOT tomorrow) until I get to Part 15. After that, it largely depends upon my writing muse. I am good until January 15th, so I will definitely have additional parts by then (thereby extending this date).**

 **A quick warning to anyone who needs it despite the fact they are reading an M-rated fanfic: starting next chapter very strong language is definitely going to be a thing. And lots of it. Because let's face it, it wouldn't be Tayuya without her foul mouth.**

 **This was another one that I combined into parts. This one was actually split into three originally, but again it just looked too short when I first put the already existing parts together.**

 **So, funny story with this. When I first wrote this, the random shinobi wasn't named Taguchi. His name was Yamato. I had just done a random name generator for these fodder ninja and it was one of the names. What I didn't realize was that there was someone at least somewhat important named Yamato already. Oops.**

 **Also, I forgot to point out where the name came from. Discordant is kind of a throwback to where I originally posted it (on Discord), and a tritone is a note played with the note three whole tones above it (known as an augmented fourth or diminished fifth). It is oftentimes called "the devil's interval" or "diabolus in musica", Latin for the "devil in music". Pulls in the whole music thing while pointing out that she is certainly a devil, or at least connected to one (Orochimaru, anyone?).**


	3. 3

**I know, I know! You're always watching, damnit.**

* * *

I cannot believe I'm about to share **any** of this, but I'm being forced to do this by Lord Orochimaru, so I don't have a choice.

Anyway, it ended up taking me longer than the week earplug-guy had told me it would, though it wasn't because the distance was longer or because I got lost. No, it was because I actually had to fight my way to reach it. There wasn't a day that went by where I wasn't attacked by some trash ninjas. Knowing my luck, it was probably some friends of those other ones who I had been stupid enough to have kept alive. It was a mistake that I didn't make again. Every ninja dumb enough to attack me was killed by my Doki. Ever since that first encounter, I had simply resorted to using them rather than genjutsu because any of the ninjas I faced could have been like earplug-guy, simply pretending to be under the genjutsu's effects to catch me off guard. I didn't put it past them.

The village I finally arrived at much later than I had wanted to was eerily quiet. No one was out of their homes, and some of the windows were boarded up. The buildings were in various states of decay, and vines crept up the walls. I could tell this place had long been abandoned, though why it was I couldn't figure out. There was no sign of life, not even birdsong or cricket chirps. I kept going regardless, my suspicion growing by the second. This place practically screamed ambush, and I wasn't about to let my guard down, especially because I hadn't been attacked once the entire day. If there was going to be an attack today, this would be it. Though, by the time I reached the center of the cluster of buildings, I wasn't sure which would wear me down first: attackers or the constant paranoia of said attackers.

The answer came quickly, though not in the way I expected it. A hand shot up from the ground, grabbing my leg while trying to pull me under with them. I stomped on their arm with my other leg, forcing them to let go. As I jumped back, the arm pulled itself out of the ground, revealing the body attached to it. I instantly recognized him as one of the original shinobi who had attacked me over a week ago. "Happy to see me?" he said with a grin.

"Very," I responded with as much sarcasm as I could throw into one word. His friends quickly joined him and surrounded me. I recognized one of these four worms as the other shinobi from that same attack. I looked around at each of them, not letting one of them sneak up on me. "So which one of you is the leader because I'm getting tired of this crap! I just want to know where Setsuko is, damnit." Upon the first shinobi's laughter, I added, "What the hell is so funny?"

"You think one of us is the leader?" the first one asked, snorting. I turned my attention to him. They didn't look like they were going to attack just yet, so I was safe for now. "Like one of us could be that! No, we serve Lord Orochimaru."

" **Lord**?" I scoffed, fighting the urge to laugh at the absurdity. _He must be so full of himself if he's having his followers call him "lord",_ I thought. "What the hell does he want with me?"

"I don't know," the kunoichi of the group said, obviously not too happy about that. "He just told us to take you down but to keep you alive. You must have done something that caught his attention."

"Well I don't want it," I responded, "so go tell your Orochi-whatever that these attacks are just pissing me off. If he has a problem with me, he should fight me himself rather than send your sorry asses."

Still laughing, the first one replied, "Trust me, you don't want that."

"Why?" I asked with false innocence, though it didn't last. My lips formed a wide grin as I said, "Cause you're afraid a girl will kick your **lord's** ass?"

"You'll regret believing that." The jovial tone he had kept up so far was gone, replaced with a seriousness that put me on edge. Was this 'lord' guy actually that strong, or was the shinobi in front of me just delusional? I didn't have a chance to decide. He rushed at me, sword poised to strike. I moved aside before rushing through the opening his attack created. I wasn't about to fight them all at once on all sides. Jumping onto the nearest rooftop, I pulled my flute out, summoning all three Doki with my song. I wasn't taking a chance with this, not with how many there were. I sent my Doki on a rampage towards them, forcing them to split up so I could take them down easier. The fight was admittedly tougher than the previous ones, though whether it was because of the increased numbers or the opponent's strength being higher I wasn't sure. Several minutes passed before the last one laid dead at my feet. I sighed in relief, somewhat tired from having to fight them for so long. I put my flute away, ready to be on my way-

"Such a shame that my subordinates were defeated by such a tiny girl."

I spun around, cursing my luck of having to fight yet another one of these idiots. As soon as I saw the man who had spoken, though, I realized my luck was so much worse than I thought. At the time, I hadn't noticed his long black hair or his attire or even how unnaturally pale he was. The only thing my eyes saw was his eyes, golden eyes that instantly reminded me of a snake.

My own words echoed faintly in my mind as I stood there, petrified by terror under his gaze. _"Whatever monsters might be out there, I'm their worst nightmare. Let the monsters come to me. I'm not afraid of them."_ At the time, they had been the taunting insults of a soulless fiend whose only purpose was to find a sister, the shell of a girl who had been long lost to the demonic insanity consuming her. Now, they sounded like the words of a fool, a very foolish girl who had no idea what monsters laid in wait for her. I was no queen of monsters, and if the big bad monsters in this world had a ruler, I was pretty damn sure it was this man whose appearance alone terrified me. Not that I was gonna let him know that for long. I glared at him, and I would have made a favorite gesture of mine that heavily involved the use of a certain finger, but I found myself completely unable to move. Was it because deep down I was still terrified, or was there something more to it besides fear? "I am **not** fucking tiny, you damn bastard," I snapped at last, fighting both to move and to keep the fear out of my voice.

Unfortunately, neither one worked. My body was completely frozen, and he smirked, obviously enjoying how scared I was of him. "To think that a few minutes ago you were so sure you could defeat me." Finally, it sunk in that this was these idiots' leader...Orochimaru.

My fear was suppressed by the intense rage I felt flare up in me. It was this bastard who kept me from finding Setsuko, who kept sending these idiots after me, and for what? What had I done that led to this shit in the first place? I found myself finally able to move, and with a grin, finally gave that choice gesture that I had wanted to earlier. "That hasn't changed, you fool. You'll see. I won't lose to you!" With that, I sent my Doki forward to destroy this asshole so I could go back to my search.

Let me just say, real quick, that this is **so** much easier said than actually done.

I figured one would be enough to handle this, so I desummoned the Iwazaru and Mizaru, leaving the clawed Kikazaru to fight. It was by far my favorite of the three, able to hit quicker than the others. Sure, it's blind as crap, but it didn't need sight. I was its sight, and I could see just fine. I was somewhat unnerved that Orochimaru didn't make any attempt to move away, but ignored it as overconfidence on his end. I began to play once again, the Doki plowing forward to slice this guy into pieces. I grinned as he was shredded by my fighter...until I saw the logs clatter to the ground. _Substitution._ "Shit," I muttered, summoning the armless Iwazaru. It was funny sometimes watching that one flop around, and the destruction it could cause? It was beautiful. I called the Kikazaru back to my side, having them guard me against wherever that Orochimaru guy was. He got lucky, that was all. I wouldn't miss a second time.

I turned around upon hearing him chuckle as he emerged from the shadows. "That won't work on me," he said, goading me into attacking him. A bit annoyed at his arrogance, I recklessly sent the both of them at him at once to attack him from either side. He leaped out of the way at the last second, letting them collide right into each other. I winced at this but knew they could handle it. They were basically indestructible and could definitely take a hit from each other. Personal experience. I sent Iwazaru to flop onto Orochimaru before sending Kikazaru next. No way was I having them make fools out of themselves again. He easily avoided all their attacks, all the while with a smirk on his face that pissed me off more than the fact that I couldn't hit him. I finally summoned Mizaru, hesitating for a second. That one brought memories back of when I first learned how to summon them and, more importantly, of my sister. It hurt.

I never should have hesitated. In the seconds it took to get my focus, he had gotten past my Doki, standing still from lack of command from my flute. I barely managed to lurch back before he could punch me in the face. The tables had turned, and now I was the one on the defensive. It took all my concentration just to keep from getting hit myself. During one of those moments, I was able to pull out a kunai, throwing it to try and get him to back off. It didn't even manage to do that and earned me a kick in the ribs for my trouble. I was thrown back, the only good thing being it sent me right behind Mizaru. I went back to playing my flute, wanting nothing more than to pummel this guy into a pulp. I sent one after the other, making sure he didn't get an opening like last time. An idea then came to my head. The genjutsu. It would end this fight in an instant, and I could get out of here and go back to finding Setsuko. I slowly backed away from the Doki, hiding behind a house that was barely even standing. It was all too easy for me to switch melodies, and I knew I had to have him with that. There was no way he'd realize what it was until it was too late. After it was finished, I leaned against the wall. How it was still standing was beyond me. I wished I could have some time to rest, but I had to get going before he got out of the genjutsu and sent more of his people to bring me down.

I was startled when I was thrown forcefully against the wall. The wood crumbled under my weight, and I scrambled into the rubble to escape another hit while I was down. Orochimaru was standing over me, still with that goddamn smirk on his face. Was there ever a moment where this guy wasn't so damn full of himself? I whipped out another kunai and threw it as quickly as I could. He didn't even flinch as it flew past him. I'll admit that I never had the best aim, and of course, I had to miss when it actually mattered. There was no time to figure out how he had escaped the genjutsu, or maybe even completely avoided it altogether. I jumped back, going through what used to be the window in the opposite wall. Flute to my lips, I called my Doki back to me and sent them crashing into the building. Of course, it didn't manage to even hurt him, but what else should have expected? I was learning this guy was much too powerful for something like that to bring him down.

As this cycle continued, I began to realize the outcome of this fight had always been decided, and it wasn't with me winning. He made this fight look like child's play, which, considering my fighting experience was me learning by myself over the last several months, probably was true. I was painfully aware that this wasn't a fight I could win, but it didn't cause me to panic. If anything, I grew more and more frustrated with each miss. That was my undoing. Fuck, I only fucking had a few fucking methods of attack to fucking begin with - fucking pummel the fuck out of whatever fucking fucker I was fucking facing with Doki (which wasn't fucking working), fucking use fucking genjutsu (that wasn't even doing fucking shit so I fucking stopped that fucking shit after the fourth fucking time), and fucking throwing the fucking kunai (and fucking missing with every fucking one) - and the fucking frustration only fucking made me that much more fucking predictable, as if I fucking wasn't already fucking predictable enough to fucking begin with. The fucking worst fucking part of this entire fucking shit: the fucking bastard was fucking toying with me the entire fucking time like the fucking asshole he fucking was because fuck the fucking fact that I just fucking wanted to fucking find my fucking sister!

If it isn't clear yet, I was pissed.

Eventually, he must have gotten bored of this game, and it was then I found out I was so royally screwed. He summoned a _giant fucking **snake**_. The thing's head had to be as big as mine. It stared down at me with evil eyes, as if trying to decide whether it was worth going after its prey...that being me. I stared right back at it, ready to play my flute to have my Doki protect me from whatever the snake decided to do. My breath came in shallow pants, and I could barely breathe with the fear choking my lungs. My heart pounded in my chest; I could have sworn that they could hear it. Any other time, I would have laughed it off, but this was fear on a whole different level, one that I had never felt in my entire life up until that moment.

When the snake lunged after what felt like hours but was probably only a couple seconds, I was slow to react due to the fear that had taken over my entire body. It wrapped itself around me, hissing all the while. I went to play my flute, but my arms became trapped in the coils of the snake's body before I could even try. I flailed frantically, screaming obscenities galore, as I tried in vain to free myself. I thought, _If I can just get my arms free, I might be able to-wait, are those...feathers? What the fuck? Is this actually happening?_ It wasn't, of course. After all, since when did a bunch of white feathers just fall from the fucking sky? I realized too late that it was nothing more than a fucking genjutsu, kind of like what I had been trying to use against Orochimaru, just before I lost consciousness.

* * *

 **A chapter early? Since when?**

 **Since now apparently, because I _really_ wanted to share this chapter now.**

 **Before I say anything else, when I first wrote this, I was so shocked that Tayuya hadn't dropped the f-bomb yet that I thought it would be funny to see how many I could drop within two (very long) sentences. The number? 39. Yes. I counted. Plus my three shits and an asshole. And then I had the word count of 142 words in these two sentences. That means less than every fourth word (it's nearly 3 and a half words per f***) is some variation of that word, mostly -ing. If you go by swear words, that number is even less. Nearly 3 and a fourth.**

 **To be honest, I'm not sure how much of this adult language is even allowed, because FanFiction is very vague on its rating scale in terms of what exactly is allowed, but I swear (hehe) there is currently no additional "cluster f-bombs" in this story, and if there ends up being one it will certainly not be to this insanity. There is still use of the word, just...not to that crazy extent. If it actually isn't allowed, please please PLEASE send me a message and let me know. I'll fix it as soon as I know and it'll be the end of it. I just wanted to have a good laugh with this.**

 **I also want to point out the fact that I get way too in character when I write some of these. I remember this part originally took me so long because I'd get so terrified myself that I couldn't even write. This also happened in later ones too and is likely to happen in later parts. It's great sometimes, but it ends up becoming too powerful. Even now, I had to take breaks from editing this and actually writing the fight between Tayuya and Orochimaru (it wasn't an actual fight in the original), and I swear through most of it I kept on looking behind me because I was scared someone was there.**

 **Oh, by the way, "Lord Orochimaru2703" is an amazing friend of mine, and we came up with this silly idea of leaving reviews as if it's Lord Orochimaru himself. Tayuya's reactions to the review for the previous part is what is at the beginning before the story itself. I had planned on explaining it last chapter but it kind of slipped my mind. Seems to be a running trend in these chapters.**

 **And thank you Pcykosis for following this story! For some reason, it didn't email me this, so if you had followed before the last chapter I'm sorry about that!**


	4. 4

**Fuck you, Oro- _Lord_ Orochimaru. You're already forcing me to share this, and now I can't even say it how I want to?**

 **...alright, alright! Fine. I'll tone it down a little. Just don't glare at me like that.**

* * *

When I came to, the first thing I did was open my eyes. The second thing was to punch the guy above me right in the fucking face.

The guy in question reeled back, an ugly bruise already starting to form on his stupid face. Consumed with the anger still simmering from my fight earlier, I charged forward with the full intent of beating the living crap out of him. Instead, my arms yanked back when I was barely a foot away from the piece of trash. I continued to pull against this unyielding force for a couple more seconds before finally looking to see what the hell was going on. I was chained to the fucking wall. The guy laughed, seemingly amused at my situation. "Can't do much now, can you, brat?"

"Why don't you come and say that to my face!" I snarled, pulling once again at the chains, though they refused to give.

Sneering, he walked right up to me, though he remained far enough away to stay out of punching range. "You're just a weak little brat who-!" His words were interrupted by a groan of pain, courtesy of the foot I had just jammed between his legs. I smirked, knowing that was gonna hurt him for a while. "You bitch! You are **so** lucky Lord Orochimaru wants you kept alive because I'd kill you right now for that!"

"Oh, wow, I'm **so** lucky," I responded with as much sarcasm as I possibly could. "If you think being stuck in a prison cell for no damn reason is lucky, I'd hate to see what unlucky is. Lucky my **ass** ," I added.

"Says the one who massacred villages. Seems like enough of a reason for you to be locked up."

I glared at him, annoyed that he had a point. "That was one time."

"Would has been two if Taguchi, Katsuro, and Hikaru hadn't shown up to stop you."

"Are you nuts? Those trash ninja got their asses handed to them."

"So it **would** have been two!" he replied, jumping on the fact that I hadn't instantly denied the accusation.

"Would **not**!" I wasn't sure who I was trying to convince anymore, this stranger or myself. I wasn't liking where the conversation was going, so I said, "You know what, I don't give a damn if there's a fucking reason or not. All I care about is finding Setsuko, and if it weren't for you jerks and that bastard Orochimaru I'd have found her by now."

"Sure about that? I know Taguchi told you where she was, and he was one of the ones Orochimaru sent to bring you in."

"Setsuko wasn't there, last time I fucking checked. I went through that pathetic excuse of a village, and the only people I ran into was you freaks and Orochimaru."

"Fine." He shrugged, apparently believing what he was saying was true. "Believe whatever you want. Why are you looking for her anyway? Seems like a lot of trouble trying to find one girl."

"None of your damn business," I snarled, resorting to the only thing I could hit him with now since he was out of both arm and leg reach. I spit in his face.

"Jeez, you have a temper," he groaned, wiping the saliva off his face, though I noticed he winced when he wiped at the area turning black and blue. I grinned at the pain I caused him. "No wonder you had to be knocked out by Kabuto's genjutsu. I preferred you asleep."

Kabuto? I hadn't seen anyone else other than Orochimaru during that fight. I didn't feel like asking, though. I couldn't have cared less. "And I'd prefer you dead, but we don't always get what we want, do we, asshole?"

"No, we don't." He turned to leave, but before he did, he added with a sneer, "But at least I'm not the one in chains." I screamed at him, straining against the stupid chains. Eventually, I sat down by the wall with a huff. I glared at the cuffs on my wrists, the metal links snaking from my wrists to just above me on the wall. If only, just by me simply wishing it, they would have just shed right off. Thousands of escape attempts ran through my mind, though who was I kidding? I couldn't even escape these bloody chains, let alone a building that I didn't even know the layout of. If only that Kabuto's stupid genjutsu hadn't knocked me out stone cold. Maybe then I'd have some chance...if I could get out of this goddamned cell, that is!

I don't know how much time passed between that encounter and the next one. It could have been minutes, or hours, though to me it felt like fucking years. I spent most of that time futilely pulling away at the chains because being left alone with my thoughts was likely to drive me even more insane. Furious, outraged, and just pissed off at the entire world in general? Yeah, that just made it so much worse.

I was facing away when they entered, face against the wall and hands running through my hair in frustration. I could feel myself sinking to insanity, and no matter what I did it held its grip on me. I thought, _I'm probably gonna die from insanity in this stupid prison! But I can't. Not until I find-_

"Tayuya?"

That voice. It was all too familiar to me, but at the same time different. Impossible. It can't be. There was no way. I turned, refusing to believe what I was hearing could be true.

But apparently, it was, unless my mind was once again playing tricks on me. The speaker, while older than my nine-year-old-self remembered, still had that same red hair and the same bright blue eyes she had inherited from our father.

"Setsuko."

I could tell she wanted nothing more than to run to me, but for some reason, she held back. I was starting to think maybe it was because I was here, in a prison cell, chained up to keep me from killing someone else. I probably had a reputation too, with that guy earlier having known about me massacring that village. Some sick part of me relished in my own sister's fear, a part that I refused to indulge. There were hundreds of questions I wanted to ask, thousands of things I wanted to say, but I settled for one, "How?" I choked out.

"Huh?" she asked as she approached, slowly but with no hesitation, like she was trying not to startle me or something.

"How...how are you here?" Suddenly the things I wanted to say came pouring out like a rhythm rushed much too fast for the piece. "What happened to you? I've looked everywhere for you! For the past two years, I've searched nonstop! What did those men do to you? Where did you go? How did you get here? Who told you I was here? Why did-"

"Shh," my sister hushed while laying her hand on my shoulder in what was meant to be a reassuring gesture. "One thing at a time." She sat down, inviting me to sit beside her with a gentle pat on the ground. I joined her, somewhat reluctant to sit but I couldn't refuse her. "Now then...as you might know, those men that came that day wanted me for the hiden technique. To fight their battles for them. I fought for them, but...only because I was afraid. Afraid...of them. Several months ago, though, I was saved. And I'm here now. I've had to move around a lot, but when I was told that a young girl was looking for me, claiming to be my sister...well, I just knew it had to be you. And I was right," she added, tears brimming in her eyes as she wrapped me in a sisterly hug. We sat there in silence, the world outside of her arms ceasing to exist for me. I had found Setsuko at long last. I didn't want this moment to ever end.

But, as I had said just earlier, we don't always get want we want. A question began to nag at my mind, and try as I did to ignore it, it refused to be pushed aside. "Hey, Setsuko?" I asked, breaking the comfortable silence between us.

"Yeah?" she mumbled.

"Who was it that saved you from those men? You never said who it was."

"I didn't?"

"No...so who was it?"

"Lord Orochimaru, of course."

My heart sank to my stomach. I must have heard her wrong. She didn't say that, she said...she said… But I couldn't find anything that I had managed to mishear as that dreaded name. I didn't respond at first, betrayal stealing my voice. "Tayuya, are you-?" Setsuko began to say, the new silence unsettling to her. I quickly cut her off though.

"How **could** you?! That bastard's the reason I'm in here! All I wanted was to find you! But what happens instead? I get thrown into a damn prison, and I finally find you only to realize my own sister betrayed me for the bastard who threw me in here!"

Setsuko scrambled away from me, the fear now all too clear. I allowed myself to indulge myself in the high it gave me. I didn't care that this was my own sister. The terror I could cause was irresistible. "You don't understand. He has a reason for-"

"You're wrong!" I screamed, once again fighting my chains. "I don't get it! The Setsuko I knew wouldn't side with the enemy like this!"

"Please, listen-"

"No, **you** listen! That Orochimaru is a fucking monster! Yet you defend him, rather than your own fucking sister!" I turned away from her, my voice as cold as ice as I added, "Leave me alone. I want nothing to do with you."

I ignored the sobs coming from her direction, ignored her as she left...ignored my own heartache throbbing in my chest. Alone once again, I curled up into a ball next to the wall, the only sign of my own emotional weakness that I allowed showing. I refused to cry here, even if I had just lost my sister, my only family left, all over again.

* * *

 **Now for one to actually come out on the proposed weekly updates on Tuesday schedule.**

 **Also another stealth Zelda reference, this one from another villainous lord whose arrogance knows no bounds.**

 **This one admittedly didn't go through much proofreading and editing because midterms (and therefore papers) came up, and I've also at the same time been working on Halloween costume/cosplay, so I've not had as much time as I would have liked to really do anything with this one. I may go back and redo this one later if I find something that really needs fixing, but I honestly doubt it as the one next week actually will have a brand new section in it.**

 **I do have one thing to say, and this actually more applies to the last chapter than this one, but still counts for later on. Orochimaru's dialogue is not usually my own. In fact, it's Lord Orochimaru2703's (or at least ends up being heavily inspired by them...and yes they know and are perfectly okay with this). I roleplay with quite a few people on the Internet, including a Kabuto too that ends up falling into this situation too (I'll touch on that when I get to that point, so no I won't forget about that). But this Orochimaru is an extremely important individual in my life. Like, you have no idea how much they mean to me. Sure, I've only known them for a little over a couple years, but I can't imagine my life without them. They're an amazing artist (the reason I even saw them on the Internet in the first place), and a brilliant writer as well. I've always been inspired to be able to be as good as they are, or at the very least fangirl over their stuff when I cannot reach those heights. The way they portray Orochimaru is by far the best I've seen, and it's honestly what inspires me to write this in the first place. If it wasn't for them, I probably never would have even gotten into Naruto, and especially not the characters I did. So, from the bottom of my heart and soul (which apparently does exist, as I found out recently), thank you so so SO much for being a part of my life. I don't deserve you at all, but somehow fate has been kind enough to let me have you in my life. I will forever continue to cherish our friendship.**

 **(insert heart that failed apparently) Ylva "Fiyuya" Olsen**


	5. 5

**Of fucking _course_ I have a temper! Didn't you realize that when you _first_ met me?**

 **Oh, and did it _ever_ occur to you that _maybe_ I have my temper because you keep me locked up? Huh?**

* * *

"I want my flute."

"No."

"I. Want. My. Flute."

"No."

"I. Want. My. Fucking. God. Damn. Flute. Now."

"No. Do you think we're stupid enough to let you have that?"

"Do I think you're stupid? Yes. But I still want my flute."

"Again, no. I'm not an idiot."

I had been having this same conversation for weeks now, which was more of a cycle of demand followed by a refusal. Well, at least I think it was weeks. It was hard to keep track of time here. I went to put my hands on my hips but had to settle instead for crossing my arms instead. I had finally relented to wearing this uniform, and the rope belt thing annoyed me to no end. Sure, now I'm used to it, but at that point in time, it was a fucking nuisance. It only served to irritate me even more, to the point that I never even thought to be grateful no one had forced it on me while I was unconscious. Though I would never be **grateful** for something like that. Ever. "Oh, I'm pretty sure you're all a bunch of idiots. But if I don't have my flute now I'm gonna go insane."

"Still no," the guy responded, not even irritated by my rudeness. That only infuriated me even more. This guy had much more patience than the first one, who I hadn't seen since that first day.

"It doesn't even have to be **mine**. Any flute will do. Come on, I'm fucking **bored** ," I groaned, pulling half-heartedly at the chains. They still had me chained up, probably because I've tried to kill just about anyone who came in here. But what else should they expect? I was bored, and the boredom was making me go crazy.

"You'll just use it for genjutsu."

"There's something stupid called **earplugs**. Your one friend knew that. Must have been smarter than you, though that isn't saying much."

"Then you'll summon those demon things."

"They're Doki, you dumbass." I snorted, finding this guy's naivety slightly amusing. "And it wouldn't work. They can't be summoned if the area isn't large enough to fit them. I doubt even one would fit in here, they're that big." I couldn't help but brag. I've been called vain, and it's certainly true.

"Really? That big? And more than one?"

"Hmph. Yeah. They're massive. And I can summon up to three, and control them all."

"And what about the genjutsu?"

"Oh, come on, that's easy." I was about to say more, but I suddenly felt a tiny amount of suspicion. "Why the hell are you asking this?"

"Oh, no reason." If I hadn't been suspicious earlier, I certainly would have been now. "So? You gonna tell me?" he continued, feigning actual interest.

"No," I snapped. "Not until I have my flute."

"I already have told you no. Several times. In the past three days."

"Three **days**?" I sputtered. "No way has it been only three! You're lying to me."

"It's true. Though I've been in your shoes before. I know how hard it is to count the days when you can't tell when a day begins."

"Even more reason why I want my flute before I get even worse than I am now. And yes, I can be worse."

"I can't give it to you."

God, this guy was a fucking broken record. "Well, I won't answer any of your questions until I have it." I spread my arms, grinning slightly. "You already know I can't escape, flute or no flute. I could be cooperative, but until I have my flute I'm just gonna annoy the crap out of you."

His only response was to shake his head and leave. After he left, I sighed. I cursed myself for being so loose-lipped with my abilities as it was. No doubt the information would be passed on to Orochimaru, the last person I'd want to actually know about it.

When he next came back, I scrambled up to my feet. He had **my flute**. I reached out desperately for it, but he held it just out of reach, taunting me with it. "No. Tell me everything about your genjutsu and Doki, and then you can have it. But not before."

I was so tempted to just spit in his face and lash out. The last thing I wanted was for them to know exactly how I fought, especially since I hadn't even used the whole of my hiden in any of my fights yet. And if I was ever gonna try and escape from this place, I needed something to fall back on, something they wouldn't see coming. I didn't need nor want Orochimaru knowing everything about how I fought when I was truly at my best. But I wanted my flute back **so** badly. So, I told him everything. I held nothing back. After I had finished what had turned into a long-winded explanation that I won't bore you guys with, a few agonizing seconds of silence passed, and I was sure he was gonna just go back on his word and take the flute with him. But, instead, he put earplugs in his ears, shoved my flute in my grabbing hands, and left without another word.  
I could feel my tears, tears of joy, streaming down my face. I didn't bother wiping them away. I was just glad to have my flute back. I probably played for hours before I finally fell asleep, curled up, my flute tucked safely within my hands.

* * *

When I next came to, I felt slightly saner. At least I would not be bored out of my mind anymore. I went to once again play my flute and gasped. The chains were gone. I grinned in anticipation. These guys had to be bigger fools than I thought. All I had to do was wait for someone to come, and then I'd take them out and escape this hellhole. Or maybe not? Could they have been so stupid as to leave the door unlocked? I walked up and pulled, surprised when it easily gave way. How dumb were these idiots? I walked out, closing the door behind me just because I could. Hey, it would buy me a few extra seconds. I wandered around, trying to find my way through this place. It all looked the same to me though. Same dark hallways, cell doors all the way. Was I going in circles? No, I couldn't be. I'd know if I was...wouldn't I?

After what felt like so fucking long, I finally came to the end of this stupid hallway. I pulled at the door, cursing when it didn't open. Guess I was gonna have to backtrack and try a different way. I turned around, jumping back at the sight of Orochimaru standing there. I collided into the locked door, my adrenaline numbing the pain a little bit. My fear of him was so obvious I hated myself for it. Even though he didn't say a word, the look in his eyes promised me a fate even worse than death. I was nothing more than a tiny mouse in this snake's eyes. Several snakes emerged from behind him, all of them striking at once. I screamed as the multitude of snakes coiled around me, hissing and glaring at me with pure malice. I fought against them, trying my hardest to escape. It was no use, of course. Did I really expect this to work?

Orochimaru smirked at my misery and fear, obviously enjoying this. I glared. There was no way I was going to be just one of his amusements! I struggled with newfound strength to get free, and it almost worked. I had just about managed to get all the snakes away from me before his glare sent that inexplicable fright through me. Once again, my body refused to move. There was definitely something about that glare that was causing this. I continued to glare as he approached, unable to do much else. "You cannot escape from me," he hissed, the snakes coming back for more. All I could do was watch as they circled around me while the large one from my fight against Orochimaru slithered up to me. It bared its fangs and hissed before lunging at me, tearing me apart.

* * *

I jolted awake, chains clattering on the floor. Grasping my flute in a death grip, I forced myself to breathe slower, trying not to panic. "It's not real. It's not real. It's not real," I muttered. Figures that I couldn't even escape him in my dreams. I hadn't truly slept since I woke up in here, and whatever rest I had gotten wasn't for long. Now I wasn't even sure if I wanted to fall asleep at all, not if whatever sleep I got would be haunted by that creep.

Once I finally calmed down, I went back to playing, trying to keep my mind busy with music. Sometimes, when I was truly focusing on the music, everything else was forgotten. All that existed was me and the melodies I was creating. It certainly helped in situations like this, where the real world was simply too much to handle at the moment.

"Enjoying yourself?"

My intonation went all over the place as I scrambled back towards the wall I was chained to. I hadn't even noticed anyone approach. My breath caught in my lungs when I saw who it was. When I finally stopped being scared to death, I snapped, "I'm in a prison cell, chained to a wall. Because of you. So what the hell do you fucking think?" Orochimaru smirked at that, an expression I was really starting to hate. "What's with the evil smirk?"

"Nothing, just enjoying your hidden fear."

"I'm not afraid."

"Liesssssss," he hissed. Like a fucking snake. Fucking figures that he'd do something like that.

"I'm not a-fucking-fraid."

"Yessssss...Keep telling yourself that. I know deep down that you are."

"How many times do I have to say it!? I. Am. **Not**. Afraid!"

"Huh. So you say..."

I swear he just disappeared...or moved so fast I hadn't seen it. How the hell did he do that? "Shit. Where did that snake lunatic go!?" Because that was the question I was more worried about. He could have been anywhere and I wouldn't know it.

"Hmmmmm...I see."

I turned around at the sound of his voice, eyes widened upon seeing him lunging at me with a sword. _Where the hell did he get that?_ I just barely managed to scramble back before he could take my head off. "What the fuck was that for!?" He once again smirked. Was it his default expression or something? I glared at him, that smirk really pissing me off. "What's with the smirk this time, you bastard?"

He glared right back, causing me to look away. "I know that you shan't ever admit to it, but your fear could be scented from far off."

I jumped as he hissed, nearly falling as the chains tangled around my leg. "I am not answering that," I muttered, unwinding the stupid thing from around my leg before it actually took me down. I wasn't gonna try denying my fear again, especially when I had just made it way too obvious. He hissed again, baring his fangs in a very terrifying version of a grin. I flinched, wondering if he was actually enjoying this. He probably was, from what I knew so far of him. "Why do you have to be so goddamn creepy for, you fucking psychopath?"

"Creepy to you and hundreds of others perhaps, but that does not matter to me. I take delight in striking fear into others."

Knew it. "Of fucking course you do," I groaned. "Why am I not surprised?"

He chuckled, the sound terrifying me even more than that insane grin from before. "And why should you be?"

"I hate to admit it, but you have a fucking point there, you-" I shut up instantly.

He smirked evilly. "I'm what? I am correct but you do not wish to admit to it? I frighten you all the time? Ha!"

I snorted, the only way I could think of to hide whatever fear he didn't somehow know of. "No way in hell...you psychotic snake lunatic."

Apparently, that was the end of his patience. He lunged at me, fangs bared. Yes, he had fangs. As if he wasn't already creepy enough. I tried to back away, but there's only so much you can do when you're chained to a goddamn wall. I quickly reached the end of my chains, with the only way to move now being towards him, something that didn't seem like an option. "Is **that** so?!" he asked, glaring maliciously.

I whimpered, shaking my head. I cringed away as he hissed at me, obviously more than a little angry with me. "Stop it..." I muttered, trying to move even farther away, even if it wasn't an option.

"No!" I looked around warily as he disappeared yet again. How the hell was he doing that? I'd never seen anyone move that fast before in my life. Quickly moving, I stood in a way that I'd be able to move in any direction without having the chains preventing me from doing so instantly. I yelped as I felt something sharp against my neck. I turned my head to see Orochimaru holding a kunai to my throat, smirking down at me. "You are afraid of me, deep down."

"Leave me alone, you asshole," I snapped, not even giving a shit about the fact that he could easily kill me right then and there. Or at least that's what it seemed like.

"I will if you simply admit your fear."

I could tell he wouldn't stop terrorizing me until I said it. "Fine," I replied, just to get this over with. "I'm afraid of you. Now just leave me the fuck alone already."

He laughed, disappearing back into the shadows. "Now, behave yourself, Tayuya, or you won't like what's coming to you."

I gasped, staring wide-eyed at where he had just been. _How the fuck did he know my name? I hadn't said it once. Not during the battle against him, or to any of his stupid followers. How could he-oh. That's right. Setsuko. She would have told him for sure._ I rolled my eyes, annoyed that I had actually been unnerved by something like that. I sat down, playing my flute again to calm my tense nerves.

 _I'm not afraid of him._

That's what I told myself, at least.

 _I'm not afraid of him._

I had just said it to get him to go away.

 _I'm **not** afraid of him!_

That was it, the only reason...

 _I'm not afraid...am I?_

I wasn't so sure now.

 _I...I am afraid._

* * *

 **That last part all started as me and Lord Orochimaru2703 roleplaying on this past Sunday (October 28, 2018).**

 **And yes. I'm early again. But I'm too impatient for my own good.**

 **So, as I said last time, this part had an all-new section to it. The original was only the part with Tayuya arguing for her flute. But then I wanted a part where Orochimaru shows up before the next time he does, which I now I realize is actually the next one because the next part is another one I combined two together. Plus, with Halloween being on Wednesday, isn't it my duty to scare the living crap out of myself and my characters? No? Well too bad. It is now.**

 **Anyway, that's all I've got because I'm absolutely drained as I'm typing this.**


	6. 6

**First off, no. Second off, fuck no. I _was_ afraid, but not now. There's a difference.**

 **And of course, you enjoyed that, considering how always seem to like tormenting just about everyone on the goddamn planet.**

* * *

I'm skipping ahead a couple years because, if I'm being honest with myself, being in that prison was boring as hell, even when I had my flute. I still tried to kill almost anyone that came in...and I actually managed to kill one. He was so stupid, taunting me and getting too close at the wrong time. He died gasping for breath he couldn't get, cut off by the chain around his neck. It had been worth it...until Orochimaru appeared out of nowhere and forced me to experience what the dead guy had. He hadn't killed me, of course, but the suffering was enough to get me to stop. The physical marks and the bruises had lasted for several days, but that wasn't the only mark it left. To this day, I can still sometimes feel that chain wrapped tight around my neck while my body is paralyzed and unable to do anything to fight back. With my killings stopped, I was once again bored out of my mind.

That is until shit decided to ramp up by a ton.

Setsuko had come once again to see me. All the previous times, she had tried to offer me some comfort, comfort that I either ignored or rebuked, depending on my mood, which would go from one extreme to another within a heartbeat. She'd stay for a while, trying to get me to open up to her, though in the end she'd give up for the time being and leave. I was still hurting inside from our first encounter when she had revealed she was working for the one who had me put in prison. I hold a grudge for a very long time, even if it is towards my family. But she still would try, the stubborn girl that she was. Something we both had in common. So when she came in and didn't instantly try to convince me of whatever it was she was trying to prove to me, I instantly knew something was up. "Got nothing to say for once?" I said snidely. "No persuading words? No trying to get me to see your reason for the things you've done?"

"Actually...I do have something I need to tell you." She took a deep breath as if mentally preparing herself, and said, "I'm offering myself up for a curse seal."

"You're what?" I gasped, pushing myself upright. While I didn't know much about these curse seals, I knew enough to know that her idea was dumb. "Why the hell would you do that? I know you've always wanted to be strong, but even this is pushing it."

"I'm not doing it solely for the power," she said, almost like a mother scolding a child. I would have been irritated by her tone if it weren't for what the conversation was about. "That's just a bonus. I'm doing it for you."

I stared at her incredulously, mouth agape. "What part of suffering through immense pain that will most likely kill you anyways has to deal with me?"

"If I do this and live, you'll be out of here!" she explained passionately, eyes alight with a fervor I had never seen before, even when we were younger. When did she acquire that passion? "I know you don't like Lord Orochimaru-"

"Don't like him? I hate that bastard!"

"Hush, Tayu," she responded, using the childhood nickname I had used when I was really young. "My point is, if I live, I'm sure he'll let you go!"

"Do you really believe that?" I asked hesitantly.

"Yes! I'm sure he'll consider it! I'm useful to him, and I'll be even more useful with the curse seal." Was she honestly being serious? How delusional could she be? "Why do you need to ask?"

Being the pessimist I was, and still am, I responded bluntly, "Because I doubt it'll happen."

"What? Why not?" She sounded genuinely hurt. I felt an odd twinge of some emotion at this, though I couldn't tell what it was or why it was there.

I frowned. "It just sounds too good to be true. Do you really think he would let a murderer run freely? Anyway," I added quickly before she could actually answer that question, "can't you see he's just using you?"

"Does it matter?"

"Does it matter?" I repeated. How could she think this way? "Of course it matters, damnit!" Why the hell did I even care anyway? She had betrayed me...hadn't she? She deserved whatever was coming to her...right? A small part in my mind, the only place not taken over by the disease in my mind, was saying...no, she hadn't betrayed me. No, she didn't deserve any of the pain or death because of some desire to protect me. "It's just...I just...I don't think it's worth dying over."

"But you **are** worth it. No matter what you've done."

"Even if I destroyed an entire village, almost destroyed a second, and killed so many people? Even though I'm a monster?" I snapped, my skepticism slipping back over that tiny voice of sanity. I had called Orochimaru a monster during my first conversation with Setsuko, but I was one as well. Guess it takes one to know one.

"Of course. Nothing you do can change that."

And with just those words, the girl I had once been, the one from before the prison, before Orochimaru, before the men that had taken my family away, revealed herself at long last. "No. There's got to be another way," I pleaded, my own tears starting to form cracks within my mask that I had been wearing over the past years. "Anything but this suicide." I hated that my voice shook.

"Don't you think if there was, I would have found it? I wish there was, but...there isn't. I have to do this, for you." She moved beside me and hugged me, her arms wrapped gently around me. I wanted her to stop. I wanted her to never let go. I hated her. I loved her. Why was I such a contradicting mess? Despite everything I had done, she still cared for me. And, despite what I had thought...I found that I still cared about her, too.

"You don't have to do this," I said, trying to sound angry but probably just sounding like the broken girl I was.

"And leave you here? What kind of sister would I be if I did that?"

"I'll figure out something. I can cooperate, be nice, be obedient. Something. Anything that'll get you to realize that you don't have to do this to yourself."

She sighed, a sigh filled with weariness and sorrow. "You won't convince me not to do it."

I sighed as well. "I know. You were always stubborn."

"I'd call it persistent."

"Still stubborn," I shot back, not sure whether to laugh or cry. So I did both.

A long time passed, but it wasn't long enough. It would never be long enough. She released me from her tender embrace. I grabbed on to her, trying to keep her near, but she gently pushed something into my hands. I was shocked to see it was the hat she always had worn before she had been taken away. "I'll be back, I promise," she murmured before she left.

I waited, watching expectantly for Setsuko to come again. I barely slept, not wanting to miss my sister's return. My hope would rise upon hearing footsteps, only to be crushed when I realized it wasn't her. Day after day passed. Soon those days became weeks. Still nothing.

The following days passed by in a blur. With no sign of Setsuko, I had been reduced to asking anyone who came by where she was, how she was doing, and if she was even still alive. Finally, one day, one of them told me that the curse seal had killed her. She wouldn't be coming back. No more was said, not that I asked. I grew silent. I just sat by the wall, still in chains, wallowing in my sorrow and misery. The hat, her hat, was on my head. I had put it on as soon as she had left and I was not about to lose the only thing left from my previous life. Freedom hadn't come, though I would have stayed in this prison forever for all I cared if I could have still had Setsuko. Now I just didn't care at all. Nothing mattered anymore.

Then, one day, everything changed. I was instantly on edge when the guy that had given me my flute in exchange for information unchained me and dragged me along through the prison. Before, I might have fought. I would have punched this guy right in the face and took off running, fighting until I either escaped this place or collapsed from exhaustion...or that genjutsu that had taken me down before. But now? The thought crossed my mind. How hard would it be to take one guy down? What was the point, though? Escaping wouldn't bring Setsuko back. Without her, my spirit was broken, shattered into a gazillion pieces. That's all escape stayed: a thought. I did not fight. I didn't even argue. I just went with him to whatever fate had in store.

I was led into a large room, where there was already a bunch of people dressed in the same uniform I was. I assumed they were other prisoners, which confused me. _Just what the hell is going on here?_ This was certainly not normal...or maybe it was. I didn't know, nor did I want to know. I glared upon seeing Orochimaru watching us, and at that moment I wished my look could kill so that he'd keel over dead. Oh, if only I had known back then that even if looks could kill, which they apparently **can** by the way, it wouldn't have worked on him. It really sucks when the person you want dead most is a goddamn evil snake lord who, as I would later find out, is also fucking immortal. Yeah, that shit's just peachy...not. My pure hatred and loathing clouded my senses, so much so that I only got snippets of why we were even here in the first place. Apparently, we were supposed to kill each other off, until only four remained. It was all I needed to know. Basically, kill or be killed.

Some were very quick to do the former, and some were very quick to do the latter because they didn't do the former. I just stared for a moment at the battle before me, the people near me ignoring the small girl I was and going after much 'worthier' opponents. What was the point in fighting anyway? It's not like I wanted any of this. I had no idea what would happen to whoever was still alive after this. For all I knew, this was just a fight for his own amusement, and he'd just throw us back in our cells again. No way did I want to go back in there. I was all too tempted to just shove myself into someone's kunai if only to end everything. But...I couldn't do that. Maybe I did want to join Setsuko in death. But I still had unfinished business here in this life. Vengeance would be mine one day, and if it wasn't mine to take, then whose was it? _Either way, whether I live or die today, I will fight until the end. I won't let my life end here. Not yet._ I wasn't afraid of death like I was sure some of these people were. I knew my chances of surviving were low, but I never had cared before. Screw the odds. I was going to fight and win.

I ducked as a white net flew over me, very lucky to have ducked at the last second. _No, not a net,_ I realized as it stuck to the poor bastard unlucky enough to have been behind me. _A spider web._ I looked in the direction the web had been shot from to see a boy with six arms run right by me, a sadistic grin on his face. I was tempted to stab him in the back with the kunai lying beside me on the ground but decided he wasn't worth my time. He wasn't even paying attention to me, anyway, but rather to his prey stuck in his web. I took the kunai though. I figured I might need it if things got desperate.

I was finally grateful that I had constantly asked for my flute, had cooperated just to get it back. Before, it had staved off boredom. Now it would stave off death. Flute to my lips, I began to play when something came flying towards me. I moved on pure instinct, the flute strong enough to smack the kunai away without breaking. "Oh, and here I was hoping you'd be easy prey," the guy, a man way too large in both directions, said with a pout.

"Too bad for you. You chose the wrong person to fight, fatty!" I went to play again, but I didn't have a chance before he came plowing towards me. I leaped back, focused on staying out of his range. If his bulk was any indication, I did not want to be hit. Being small was an advantage for once. I was lighter on my feet, and certainly quicker than this fool. I kept dodging, laughing at his sorry ass and taunting him all the while. I stuck my tongue out at him, only to trip over someone who had been simply too dumb to live.

Stumbling, I regained my balance, though not quickly enough to avoid the fist to my ribs. I gasped, the wind knocked out of me as I was thrown back several feet. God, this guy hit like a fucking boulder! At least one of my ribs had to be broken from how much my side hurt and how breathing itself was painful. Struggling for breath, I scrambled to my feet only to be hit again, this time in the gut. I doubled over in even more pain. The next blow, with his whole arm, sent me flying into the wall, my small body creating a small crater where I slammed into it. I collapsed to the ground, trying to catch my breath while my entire body was screaming in agony. I looked up, feeling terror upon seeing him stand before me, ready to deliver my demise. "All done, little girl?" he asked.

"No way. No way...am I being taken down...not by some shitty fatass like you," I shot back with a nasty grin.

The fatass scowled. "I don't like women like you. Foul-mouthed know-it-alls who don't have any sense of decency or respect. No woman should ever be like you, especially one so young. Too bad you'll die before you could ever become a proper woman."

"Proper woman?" I scoffed, rolling my eyes at that. "Any 'proper' woman would have been long dead in the time I've been here. And I won't die here! Not today, not ever, and certainly not to you!" Newfound confidence, the confidence I had lost when Setsuko had been forever taken from me, came back in full force. I was gonna take this guy down, him and anyone else who stood in my way. No one would stop me here!

Whether it was the confidence or pure adrenaline, suddenly my wounds weren't as terrible as I thought. I pulled out my flute again, beginning to play. The guy looked at me in complete confusion before laughing. "What are you gonna do, serenade me to death?"

I shrugged, grinning at this guy's stupidity like the complete bitch I was. "Close enough." Before he could say another word, he was trapped in my genjutsu, along with anyone near me who heard my music. Using what time I had bought myself, I summoned one of my Doki, the Kikazaru. I sent it on a wild rampage, its claws taking out all these fools and the fatty who dared to try and kill me. I didn't want to waste too much chakra by summoning all three, and I was rusty from the two years (I found this out later) I had not been fighting. It took most of my concentration just to control the one. Three would have been impossible. Before I knew it, the adrenaline of a fight...no, a **bloodbath** , overtook and consumed me whole. I once again was the soulless monster that had massacred an entire village. I'd kill every last person in here. And then maybe, just maybe, I could fight my way out of this place and get my freedom back, for Setsuko.

The rest of the fight itself went by in a blur, and before I knew it, it was over. I had managed to survive, of course. How would I be writing this if I hadn't? Sure, there's Edo Tensei, but I never would have been revived at that point in time. Who would have revived me anyway? The answer: nobody. Spider boy was still alive too, along with some other large fatso and a boy that seemed to have two **heads**. As if the six-armed one wasn't weird enough. We were all exhausted and gasping for breath, and I'm pretty sure if we were forced to continue fighting, none of us would have been able to. There was definitely not going to be some epic escape, not when I was barely standing on my own two feet.

"The feeling that is born when one gets past the fear of death…" I looked up, startled because I hadn't heard anyone approach. I blame exhaustion. I glared upon seeing it was Orochimaru. _Fucking figures._ Behind the bastard was a gray-haired man with glasses. I hadn't noticed him earlier, and I paid him little attention now. My full attention was on Orochimaru. "That's what I wanted. Look at those fine eyes," he added, which confused the shit out of me. _What the fuck?_ I had no idea what the hell he meant by that. My eyes were as normal a brown as you could get. I didn't get the chance to figure it out. "I shall bestow upon you even greater power. And you shall do my bidding as my favored ones."

...what. He could **not** be serious. Did he **actually** expect me to go along with this? Sure, I wanted to be more powerful than I was. Who doesn't? I wanted power...power to defeat the fucking snake, that is. But I wanted nothing to do with this power, whatever it was. Not if it meant having to serve the man I despised more than anything else. And no, I'm not exaggerating. Even now that statement holds true. What? I don't care if he knows! I'm sure he already does. I've made it clear enough.

Oh god, I need to stop that now, though not because I'm afraid or anything. I was just stupid back then. It was a lie. I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid of him. Not one bit. You hear that, Lord Orochimaru? I'm not afraid of you, you-oh, never mind. I really need to get back on topic now. Needless to say, I was torn between power or freedom. Did I really want to sacrifice any freedom I could get for a little more power? Though, as the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat. I decided I'd see this power. Only see, though. **Maybe** I'd take it for myself if I found it would be useful. As soon as that was over, I'd escape as soon as I could, because there was no way in hell I was about to obey some evil snake lord with an extreme arrogance problem.

Something very deep inside told me that none of this was going to bode well.

* * *

 **And this is why I love the anime for giving some sort of backstory for the Sound Four other than "oh they're some of Orochimaru's stronger followers".**

 **This is another one of those moments when I'm expanding a fight by a bit. I had very little of an actual fight for this "battle royale" (as Narutopedia calls it). And who doesn't love fights where pretty much everything is on the line, even your own life? Granted, I'm pretty sure everyone figured out that Tayuya survives (otherwise how could she have been in the manga/anime itself?). But I remember I did want to flesh this out a lot, but I got too impatient with it. That's something that has changed somewhat as my writing has gone along. That impatience with writing has turned into impatience to share my work.**

 **I'll admit, when I first wrote this I didn't even realize that Orochimaru could, in fact, kill with a single look. I mean, I knew he could cause people to be paralyzed with fear from it, and I saw him kill people with that look in different episodes. It just never occurred to me that the latter could happen until my friend said that's what it was. My reaction was a huge "wtf" followed by "oh shit" because Tayuya could have easily died just like that in any of our roleplays, and I (and by extension Tayuya) was none the wiser to it.**

 **Okay, I'm going to get some sleep now, because I literally stayed up until midnight just to post this as early as possible on the day. I'm weird, I know. But oh well.**


	7. 7

**Well, you _are_ arrogant! Everyone knows that!**

 **You are not in charge of me. Sure, like the rest of the goddamn world is about to see, you gave me power...or so you see it. But-you know what never mind. I'm not arguing this with you right now.**

 **No...I did _not_ forget.**

* * *

I'll just spoil it now: it didn't bode well for me at all.

We all followed Orochimaru out of that room, each for our own reasons.

One who thought of life as a game and this power as another level up to become stronger.

One who had nowhere else to go and an insatiable lust for power that just couldn't be denied.

One who just accepted what was coming and hadn't been in prison long enough to lose all politeness.

And then there was me, the one who was controlled by vengeance and a curiosity that was just too damn overpowering for her own good.

Of course, I didn't know any of the other reasons other than my own back then, and it wasn't like I was paying attention to this bunch of a-holes anyway. I was too busy planning an escape despite my exhaustion...and Orochimaru's death, though that was only if I could catch him off guard. If not, then escape came first, no matter how much I wanted to kill this snake bastard. See? I have my priorities straight. Most of the time.

...okay, maybe I don't have my priorities sorted at all. But sometimes I actually can surprise people with having them in the right order.

I wasn't, of course, paying much attention. My mind was preoccupied with more important things than where we were going in this hellhole. I paid just enough attention to notice if there was a turn. Not enough, though, to stop. Which is why I ran right into the two-headed boy. The back head remained asleep, but the first head was quick to snap, in irritation, "Hey, watch where you're going!"

"Well, watch where you're fucking standing, loser," I snapped right back, my hands on my hips. Yes, I finally did figure out how to do that with the stupid rope belt thing.

The large boy shifted his bulk slightly to look at me. "Women shouldn't use such language," was all he had to say.

Oh god. Something told me I was gonna hate this guy. Or he was gonna hate me. Or maybe even both, because that was very much a possibility. "Can it, fatso!" I replied, before finally getting to why we were actually here. "So what the hell is this stupid power...Orochimaru?" Because I doubted the other three even knew who this was. Not that I wanted to know who he was, but it gave me an edge over them, or at least I thought it did.

"That's **Lord** Orochimaru to you."

I stared around incredulously until I realized it hadn't been any of us prisoners but rather the guy with the glasses who had spoken. I snorted, barely restraining myself from flat-out laughing like I wanted to so badly. "Oh fuck you I don't give a damn, you four-eyed idiot." Oh, the look on his face was priceless! He looked like he wanted to strangle me, and I doubted it was because I called him a four-eyed idiot. No, it was my obvious lack of respect that ticked him off, and I really wanted to rub it in his face. Grinning, I pressed on, "I'm not about to show any fucking respect to that bastard and never will! And no one can make me, four eyes. I could take you down without breaking a sweat. So just try it!" He moved towards me, and my grin only widened. I wanted another fight, and four eyes didn't look that tough. Sure, he was taller than me for sure, but so what? What could this guy possibly do to me anyway?

"Kabuto."

Four eyes, who I assumed was Kabuto, stopped at that. Smirking, he responded, "I know. I won't sink to this brat's level."

"My level!?" I glowered at him, ready to take the attack to him instead. That's how pissed off I was. Reckless, I know, but did I really care? No, no I didn't. I just wanted to beat someone's face in. "You're just afraid that I'll beat your ass, you fucking piece of-"

"Tayuya."

I shifted my glare from Kabuto to Orochimaru before snapping, "What?"

"If you desire my power, you'll keep silent."

"Who said I fucking wanted it?"

"You would not have followed me had you not been drawn to the promise of power." I just continued to glare at him, not bothering to correct him that I only followed after him because I wanted to know what it was, not necessarily have it myself. Call it a gut instinct, but I was starting to get the feeling I wasn't going to like what this power was. He smirked, taking my silence as acceptance of what he believed to be true. Oh, how wrong he was. Finally, he said, "As my favored ones, you will each receive a curse mark that will grant you power greater than you could ever imagine."

Despite myself, my eyes widened in shock...and fear. Curse mark, curse seal. No fucking difference. It was the same bloody thing. The very thing that had killed Setsuko...and he wanted to give us **that**? It filled me with fury, knowing this thing would very likely kill me, too. I didn't give a shit about the others, but I had to avenge Setsuko's death and my imprisonment. How could I do that if I died from this? Yes, I wanted power, but not **this** power.

No.

"No?"

 _Oh, shit._ I hadn't meant to say no out **loud**. "No," I repeated since it was already out in the open now. "I won't do it. That fucking thing killed my sister, as I'm sure you know! I didn't fight just to throw my life away. I still have shit to get done."

"Like what? Rot away in a prison cell?" I shot a glare at the two-headed boy, but he didn't seem to care that I could easily destroy him. "Face it. This is the best shot we've got of getting anywhere now." What irritated me more was that fatso and spider boy nodded in agreement. How the hell were they so fucking stupid?

"Think that all you want, you fools. But I'm not you. I won't just accept it!" Deep down, I knew there was no chance of taking down Orochimaru. Who had I been kidding, thinking that I could? His skills were way above mine, and a fight against him now would have ended the same way that the first one did. For once, I listened to that sensible part of me screaming at me to run the fuck away. I turned and broke out into a sprint, instinctively moving to the right as another spider web shot by me, refusing to break my stride. "You missed!" I yelled over my back, though he didn't seem bothered by my taunt. Not that it mattered, because at that moment, my right leg gave out under me with an audible snapping sound as pain shot through it. I stumbled before falling to my knees, my hands breaking my fall and preventing me from faceplanting into the floor. Startled, I tried to push myself back on my feet, but my right leg simply refused to cooperate. It was painful to even move it, let alone stand. I looked around and found the source of my suffering: the signature blue color of chakra surrounding four eyes' hands. "What the hell did you do?" I snarled.

"I severed the gastrocnemius muscles in your calf," he explained. So fucking full of himself. "You won't be able to walk or run away now."

"Damn you, smartass!" I reached for my flute so I could stop these fuckers...only to find it wasn't in my pocket. Frowning, I searched my other pocket, but it wasn't there either. I knew I had it there earlier. Where the hell was it? I knew it hadn't gotten knocked around when I had fallen. I would have heard it fall, as protective as I was over it.

"Are you looking for this, perhaps?" Orochimaru asked, holding an object in his hand.

I stared in complete and utter shock. It was my flute. I didn't even bother to ask the obvious question of how it got to be from my pocket into his possession. I could easily put the pieces together myself, thank you very much. Spider boy must have somehow used that web, not to bring me down as I had thought, but to steal my flute so I couldn't fight back when I was brought down a few seconds later. Irritated as I was, I had to admit that he wasn't too bad in the strategy department.

But there was something spider boy didn't know I had. The kunai. I had said I might need it if things got desperate. If this wasn't desperate, I don't know what is.

I pulled the kunai out with ease, wielding it somewhat awkwardly in my left hand. I didn't throw it, of course. My aim wasn't that good to begin with. Plus I would have been without a weapon if I had, and then I'd be screwed. Using my left leg and right arm, I lunged forward at four eyes. So what if he had taken out my leg? He wouldn't be able to do anything with that stupid chakra if I shoved the kunai deep into his chest and pierced his fucking heart...if there was even a heart in there. Bloodlust flowed through me, and I knew I'd savor every fucking second of payback.

I had closed my eyes just as I struck. I met sweet resistance, though when I opened my eyes it suddenly turned bitter when I saw what caused it. He had my arm locked in his grip. _Damnit!_ I went to pull away, but before I could the chakra from earlier flared up. Hissing in pain, I involuntarily dropped the kunai, my hand not working just like the leg. Just about out of options, I clenched my right fist and threw a wild punch. He stopped it easily, smirking as I snarled at him. I would have kicked him right where the sun doesn't shine if I didn't think that trying that would just hurt the other leg even more. "You're all talk and no bite. You're nothing more than a pathetic brat."

"Don't kid yourself. You just got **lucky** , four eyes!" Suddenly, I felt a sudden sharp, stinging pain in the back of my neck. So absorbed as I was in bringing down four eyes, I had forgotten about everyone else. Including the snake that I should have been constantly paying attention to.

The pain that followed was beyond excruciating. There's not really words describe the intensity. If I had to describe it, it felt like my body was being eaten away by acid from the inside out while drowning in a pit of lava. I probably let out a blood-curdling scream, though I don't really remember. The pain overpowered everything. It wasn't long until I blacked out, both body and mind completely exhausted from the horrendous sensation.

* * *

 **Gotta love when the only real free time I had to proofread for a week was when FanFiction was down for that six hours on Sunday.**

 **How I got any time to do this I have no idea, because when one has two papers to do by Monday, chemistry homework and a math exam (that I bombed but it'll be fine because it won't count) and a Christmas choir practice on Tuesday, a lab report due Wednesday, a chemistry exam on Thursday, and a second chance of a math exam and a biology exam on Friday, you don't exactly get much time for proofreading. And this was in _one week_. Thank goodness for Thanksgiving break.**

 **This was the one chapter I ever actually did a lot of research for. The** **gastrocnemius is a muscle in the calf, and it along with the soleus muscle make up about half of the entire calf muscle. While clearly the chances of the gastrocnemius being flat-out severed are very slim in real life, with Kabuto's chakra scalpels I figured it was possible. Normal symptoms of this include a snap or popping sound upon the tear's infliction (especially with more severe injuries), a sharp pain in the calf, throbbing pain that sharpens when trying to stand or walk, and an inability to run or jump using that leg. I've never experienced it myself, and certainly not at Tayuya's level, but I wanted to try and make it somewhat believable...though coincidentally enough I somehow screwed up my knee after having gone to the fitness center and walked/jogged on the treadmill. Oh, the irony. Plus, gastrocnemius is a fun word to say.**

 **Oh, yeah, with this part, this is now the longest story I have written. Go me. I'm excited.**

 **Here's to hoping I can make it through the week without keeling over. I mean, I made it through yesterday and today. Surely it will be easier now? I hope.**


	8. 8

**Is he gone? Good! I don't have to share the next part then! :D**

 **(I swear I'm joking! I just had to do it because it fits. Trust me.)**

* * *

If, for some ungodly reason, you ever want to know real pain, get a curse seal. Then you'll know what agony actually feels like. If what I said before wasn't enough to convince you of that, I don't know what will. All I can say is you're crazy if you think anything else is worse.

After what felt like an eternity, I opened my eyes, though all I saw was a yellow haze. I turned slowly, wondering why the hell I was in this strange place. I finally saw something. No, someone. Someone that I didn't expect to see. It was **me**. Well, me when I was younger and before Orochimaru ever got a hold of me. "What the actual fuck is this?" I asked, confused as all hell.

Tears started to stream down my younger self's face. Why was she, or me, crying for? Sobbing, she cried out, "I...I couldn't do it. I couldn't save my family!"

Suddenly, the scene around us changed to one that was actually familiar. It was my home. Home. I hadn't seen this place for years. It looked exactly like how it had been when I left. It was warm and sunny, almost like it was...summer. Suddenly everything clicked in my mind., _Oh fuck no. Not this. Anything but this._ I stared down and gasped upon seeing my parents' mutilated corpses on the ground in front of me, starting to rot in the blazing sun. I wanted to puke at the sight that assaulted me, but all I could do was gag. I forced my gaze back on little me. I didn't want to see that any longer. Setsuko was nowhere to be found, of course. She wasn't here, those men having already come and gone.

Little me kept going on her little tirade. "I couldn't do anything."

Tears again. I wasn't able to stop them back then, and little me couldn't now. I closed my eyes, not wanting to watch myself break down like this.

"Father..."

 _No._

"Mother..."

 _Stop._

"Setsuko..."

 _Enough!_

"I was powerless. I hid, to live, so I could get revenge for you."

 _Shut up!_

"No, you hid like a coward."

My eyes shot wide open at that. _What!?_ The familiar anger was there, but underneath...what was this feeling? Shock? Indignation? "P-Piss off!" I finally snarled, as if I was trying to convince myself the last part wasn't true. In this case, I really was. Little me certainly didn't believe me...and neither did I.

"You were afraid, though you would never admit to it," she continued, completely ignoring my outburst. "You let her be taken away, all the while thinking 'If only I had power.'"

I knew what that feeling was now. It was fear. Not the heart-pounding kind from before, but one that contained dread as well. It was still just as bitter tasting. Little me reached up and pulled away at the skin of her eye, revealing...no. Not **that** eye.

"If only I had power," she repeated, though not with her own voice.

 _Orochimaru._

It was all a dream, of course. But not just a dream. More like a nightmare. Or some horrible hallucination.

As I'd find out later, I had been unconscious for almost an entire fucking day. When I finally did wake up, and I mean actually wake up, not whatever that shit from before was, my vision was a blurry mess of purple. All I could see was someone standing over me, their hair just barely visible as gray in the purple sea. Pure rage consumed me. I swear my vision turned red, and all I wanted to do was kill that fucking four-eyed bastard! All that existed was that urge: the urge to destroy my enemy. I let out a scream and launched myself forward. He ducked, letting me leap over him. I landed against the wall. Before I could even think to rebound, he had me pinned against it. _Shit!_ I squirmed and kicked back with both legs with all my might to escape him, but it was no use. The bloodlust at the time was so overpowering that I didn't even stop to wonder how my right leg wasn't in pain anymore. Enraged, I yelled, "I'm gonna fucking kill you, four eyes!"

He laughed. He actually laughed at that! The fucking nerve! I was gonna pound that bastard to a fucking pulp once I got free! "You really thought I was that Kabuto guy?"

"...what?" That snapped me out of my crazed state, and I turned my head to see, not four eyes, but the two-headed freak from earlier that had been the one to verbally accept this stupid situation. For some reason, there were black blotches all over his stupid face. They certainly hadn't been there before. "What the fuck is wrong with your face, you freak?"

His eyes narrowed a bit, just for a second, but he hid his irritation with a smirk. "I'd ask you the same if I didn't already know what it was."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Take a look yourself," he replied, finally releasing me from his hold. I glared at him before turning my gaze to the room itself. It only took a few moments for my eyes to be drawn to the mirror, and what I saw trapped my gaze. A purple energy wound around me, almost like the coils of a-no. Just. **No.** Jagged black lines ran along the right side of my face, almost like cracks in my face. The tips flared orange and were expanding to cover the other side as well. I reached up to touch my face and saw it ran up my arm as well. Luckily, the lines didn't change the skin other than the color. I tried to wipe it off, or even just stop it from spreading, but it was there to stay. There just was no stopping it. I finally glared back at the the two-headed freak and bluntly asked, "Who the hell are you? What the hell is this shit?"

"Sakon and Ukon," he responded slowly, pointing first to himself and then to the head still hanging limp on the other side. Did he ever wake up? Or maybe he was just there for show. Hell if I knew. "And 'this shit' is Orochimaru's power, and it's great," he added, complete with air quotes around my words.

I snorted derisively. What a fucking moron. "Yeah right. Hate to disappoint you, but I feel like fucking shit. So, if you don't mind...piss off."

"Can't."

"Why the fuck not? Because your **master** told you to?"

"Yours too. And no," he added before I could scream at him that Orochimaru was **not** my fucking master and never would be in a million years, "the door's locked." He rattled the handle, as if to make a point. I tried it myself, not trusting Sakon in the slightest, but it wouldn't budge. "Probably to keep a certain someone from doing something stupid. Like running away."

I glared at him, once again wishing looks would fucking kill. "Please tell me **he** isn't in here."

I don't know if he knew just who I meant, but he responded as if he did. "No, but there's Kidōmaru over there." He pointed over to where spider boy, who must have been Kidōmaru, was sleeping. "He was the first one to wake up. Something he wouldn't shut up about earlier," he said irritably while rolling his eyes. "And the big guy hasn't woken up yet." It was impossible not to notice that fatso. "Personally I don't think he'll make it, with how long he's been out. I'm surprised you even lived, considering how scrawny you are."

Oh, how easy it'd be to kill them all. They wouldn't even realize they were as good as dead until they...well, **were** dead. This Sakon would be the tougher one. Only because he was awake, not because he was any stronger. Though, as much as I hated to admit it, I would struggle without a weapon. I probably wasn't going to get my flute back anytime soon, considering my earlier actions. What did I have to bargain this time to get it back? My freedom? Hell no! I wasn't going to give that up yet. I still had a hope of an escape. Not that it was doing me much good to begin with, but it was there, making all of this slightly more bearable. Until that hope was gone, I was never going to give up what little freedom I had left. So, with nothing better to do, I sat on the bed, glaring at the door with eyes filled with loathing and hatred. I wouldn't be caught off guard again, and I'd be ready for whatever came through that door.

* * *

 **If this one taught me anything, it's that I would come to really enjoy writing Sakon and Tayuya interactions. Even if at the moment they aren't exactly on friendly terms.**

 **This one is admittedly shorter than normal and later than normal, but I really got caught up in the past week, and had to take some time to wind down. Plus next week's makes up for it. Trust me. I promise it's worth it.**


	9. 9

**Oh, shit. I spoke too soon, didn't I? Goddamnit.**

* * *

I don't want to share this. I don't want to share this. I do **not** want to share this.

...Alright, fine! I will! Just don't expect me to be happy about it.

The next several days were as monotonous as could be. I'd wake up to the sound of the door opening. If I wasn't already being restrained by Jirōbō, the fatso who had woken up shortly after I had, I'd try to kill whatever poor schmuck had the duty of keeping us alive that time. It never worked, of course. When it wasn't fatso holding me back, it was Kidōmaru with all those fucking arms of his. I expected Sakon to do the same, but he never tried to stop me. Maybe my antics helped to break up some of the monotony for him too. But my attacks, no matter how futile, gave me something to look forward to in this miserable existence. Unless, of course, the curse seal decided to flare up right then and there. No matter what I did, I wasn't able to control the damn thing, and it was as if it had a mind of its own. It caused me nothing but pain every time this happened. At best, it would leave me exhausted for a couple hours; at its worst, the pain made me collapse and slip into unconsciousness. It's the only reason I hadn't managed to kill one of those idiots because when those two couldn't restrain me, it certainly did the job.

 _God, I hate that thing so damn much!_

One day, I decided to change it up. It was after another time of being knocked out by the curse seal. When I came to, instead of screaming obscenities galore like I had every other time, I pretended to still be out. Even when the door opened a while later. I let several seconds pass, waiting to see if spider boy or fatso would still restrain me. Neither one did.

That was exactly what I wanted.

I suddenly lurched forward, using the shock of my action to my advantage. I shoved that poor schmuck out of the way and, rather than waste my time trying to kill him, bolted out of the room, slamming the door behind me to buy myself at least a few precious seconds.

I ran on pure instinct. I had no idea where I was going, but I didn't care. There was hope, growing by the second. I managed to avoid anybody in this accursed place.

In hindsight, that should have been my first clue.

I kept trying to open each door I passed, not finding one unlocked yet. It didn't bother me, though. I still had more hallways with more doors to try. I looked behind me, but no one was there. I had lost any possible pursuers.

 **That** should have been my second clue.

Finally, I found a door that wasn't locked. I threw it open and ran inside. My eyes zeroed in on the door in front of me. It had to be the exit. It **had** to be. I dashed over to it and pulled. It didn't budge.

My third clue, the one that **finally** made me realize that something was wrong, came in the sound of sinister chuckling as the first door closed shut behind me.

I whipped around to see none other than Orochimaru laughing at my situation. I kept my back to the wall so I didn't have to worry about someone coming from behind me because I already had enough problems to deal with. "Oh...shit," I muttered to myself.

"What do you think you are doing?" he asked as if he didn't already know what I was up to. I was pretty damn sure he already knew, but I was pissed enough to respond anyway.

"What do you fucking think?" I retorted. "I'm getting the hell out of here!"

He sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. "Such an ungrateful girl."

"Ungrateful!?" I snapped, glaring at him. "What the hell am I supposed to be **grateful** for? You threw me in fucking prison!"

He glared right back, his glare alone causing me to look away. "Yes, because you went out of control! I had to contain you for some time. Or you would have murdered everyone!"

"Would not!" Being the foolish girl I was back then, I turned away from him to try and shove the door open. Of course, it didn't work; I would have been surprised if it had. When I turned back, a white snake-like creature was lunging at me. I jumped to the left and forward to get away from the wall. It was as if this monstrous thing knew what I was going to do because it followed me mid-leap and had wrapped itself around me before I had even landed. "Get off me, you stupid reptile!" I snarled, squirming to try and free myself. _Come on, stupid curse seal, **work** for once,_ I thought bitterly, knowing it was **supposed** to make me stronger. But of course, the **one** time I needed it to work, it refused to do so. Fucking figures my luck.

"I was hoping you would see reason," Orochimaru said from behind me. How did he get behind me in the first place? I turned my head, but all I saw was the snake thing. "You are simply too stubborn to realize it," he continued, yet the snake's mouth was moving with his words.

"Where's that fucking bastard Orochimaru?" I snapped at the beast.

"Such uncouth behavior," the snake-like monster continued in said bastard's voice, moving its head to be in front of me. It **was** him. Sure, he was a snake now, but those were definitely his eyes. "You really should show more respect towards me, as I am your master."

"Respect my ass! You aren't my master, and you never will be!" He smirked at that, an expression that was somehow more terrifying on the snake's face than on his normal face. "What the hell's with that smirk?"

"Just relishing the fear in your eyes."

"I'm not afraid of you!"

"Liiiieeeess," he hissed while coiling tighter around me, sending even more terror shooting through me. "I can sense your fear."

"I-I'm not afraid! And I won't be!"

I remember how, back then, I thought I was so tough. I believed that, no matter how bad things got, I'd come out on top. Nothing could make me break.

How wrong I was.

It doesn't matter how tough you think you are when your life is slowly being squeezed out of you and you're struggling and gasping for breath. It's only a matter of time before you panic and break under the pressure. "St-stop," I stammered, gasping for air.

"Why should I?" He loosened up enough to allow me enough breath to speak, but no more.

"Please...I'm begging you," I replied after several seconds of trying to catch my breath.

"Are you?"

I glared for a second before looking away. "Yes," I muttered.

When I looked back, he was staring at me, as if expecting something else. When I didn't respond, he said, "Yes, what?"

 _Oh my god. You have **got** to be kidding me._ I could not believe the words that were about to leave my mouth. I snarled, with as much sarcasm as humanly possible, "Yes...my lord."

"Better." He once again loosened his hold on me. It no longer hurt, though I still couldn't move. "It will eventually come naturally to you to address me as such."

 _It'll never happen,_ I scoffed internally. _Not if I have any say in it!_

"I know you do not believe me, but 'tis the truth," he continued. Could he actually read my mind? Or was I just that easy to read? For my sanity, I hoped the latter. I didn't need that bastard in my fucking head, able to see my innermost thoughts. "It would be in your best interest to stop resisting it. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes... **Lord** Orochimaru."

Now, considering what you know about me, do you really think I listened?

Yeah, I didn't think so either.

Needless to say, that would not be my only escape attempt. I tried again a few days later. And again, and again. Each one ultimately ended in failure. Orochimaru would find me, as he always did, and a similar exchange would happen. I wish I could say I lasted longer each time, but instead, it was the opposite. Knowing what was coming only made my resolve falter even more.

My fifth attempt was when things changed. When I once again found myself trapped in a room (I never did learn during any of my previous attempts that entering an unlocked room was not a good idea), it wasn't just me and Orochi-I'm sorry, ' **Lord** ' Orochimaru. "What the hell is four eyes doing here?" I asked him upon seeing that gray-haired bastard standing behind him. I hadn't forgotten what four eyes had done to my leg, and I knew better now that he was stronger than I originally thought.

"I have been patient with you," 'Lord' Orochimaru responded, completely ignoring my question, "but you refuse to accept the power I have given you."

"Why would I accept this shit when I don't want it?" I snapped.

"You **will** learn to accept it," he said, sending a fierce glare at me that terrified me more than I care to admit. "I will not tolerate such insubordination from you anymore!" He reached into his mouth and pulled out a wicked looking sword. I stared in shock, my eyes locked on the sword's sharp blade. I recognized it from the time when he had seen me while I had still been imprisoned. So that's where that damn thing came from. Common sense told me to move the fuck away, but just like when I had first met him, my legs refused to move.

Before I move on, remember how I said before that you do not want to piss him off? This was what taught me that lesson...even if I don't always listen to it. I won't go into the gory details, because this is already a memory I hate remembering.

I did find out real quick why four eyes was there, though. He was there to keep me alive, though if it had been up to him I'm damn sure he would have let me die. That might sound good, not dying, but trust me: it isn't. Whatever wounds I got would be healed, only to be inflicted again. The wounds may have healed, but the pain didn't subside. I tried so hard to ignore it, but it soon became too much to bear. My screams tore through my soul deeper than his blade tore through my flesh. In unbearable agony, I once again begged Lord Orochimaru to stop. When he didn't, I screamed, with tears running shamefully down my face, "Please! I'll give you what you want! Just please don't hurt me!"

He stared down at me with those damn eyes of his. I looked away, unable to face him. "You will treat me with the proper respect and obey my every command. Is that clear?" he asked, his words dripping venom. I nodded, muttering incoherently. "What was that?"

"Y-Yes, Lord Orochimaru…"

"Good." A short silence passed before he added, "Surely it is not so difficult for you to simply listen to me. The rest of your team have already taken to this life quite well."

"They're a bunch of fucking idiots to accept this shit," I snapped.

"There is no need for that attitude, Tayuya," he hissed, pointing the sword at me once again.

"I can't fucking help it. It's how I am."

"No, you **can** learn. You just refuse to do so." I rolled my eyes at that but said nothing else. I was not in the mood to argue about my so-called attitude.

You would think that this attempt would have taught me to listen to Lord Orochimaru. You would think. But I've never been a fast learner. Another week passed, and I had mustered up some foolish courage to try one more time. This had to be the one that worked. It **had** to be. I didn't run this time. If I ran, it could make it seem like the escape attempt it was. I wandered around, casually trying to open rooms. If they opened, I peeked in before moving on, not trusting any of them. I wasn't so stupid to run recklessly into those rooms. I stopped upon seeing a large opening, with trees visible on the other side. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was the exit. Grinning from ear to ear, I broke into a sprint, freedom so close I could taste it.

At that moment, my neck burst into uncontrollable pain. I collapsed to my knees, the exit just a short distance in front of me. Of all the times, it had to be now that it acted up! It only lasted for a moment, but it was enough to have brought me down. I staggered back to my feet, curse mark still throbbing but not causing too much pain.

"You don't seem to learn, do you?!"

I didn't need to look. I knew it was Lord Orochimaru. The fucking timing of his arrival pissed me off. I was so close this time! "I ca-"

"And don't give me that tripe 'I can't help it.' You can learn to hold your damn tongue!" I turned around and gasped, that damn sword pointed at my throat. I backed up slightly, my gaze locked on the sword. "Now, be a good girl and go back to your room," he added, moving the sword away.

I glared at that. "'Good girl'? You've got to be fucking joking."

He was not happy with that. The sword was back in my face. "Considering what just happened, I expect perfect obedience from you…"

"Just because you expect something doesn't mean it's just gonna happen, you f-"

He glared at me, his eyes filled with absolute hatred towards me. "I am your master, and you **shall** obey me, whether you like it or not!" he shouted. "I expect my subordinates to be obedient at all times. Do. You. Understand?!"

"You are **not** my fucking master!" I shouted back, pulling out my flute. "And I will not listen to you!"

"Is **that** so?!" Before I could even move to play, he struck. I screamed in agony, clutching my right arm...or more like where it had been once attached to my body. Yes, you heard that right. He fucking sliced my arm right off. "Let's see you play that little flute of yours then. You have nothing...no home, no sister, and no master. You should have been grateful for the roof over your head." He shook his head, clearly disappointed with me and my attitude. "I am not going to ask my medical ninja to heal you. Instead, you can stay like this as a reminder for those who disobey and disrespect me."

"Damn. You," I snapped, half glaring and half crying from the pain.

"Damn you as well," he hissed, taking his sword and smashing it through the wall right where I was. "Ungrateful shit!"

I jumped away, nearly tripping over my own two feet. I was painfully aware of the fact that my back was against the wall as I stared up at Lord Orochimaru. "I...I…" I stammered, looking away from his fierce glare. I kept staring at the ground, scared shitless. I could feel the tears threatening to break free. No way could I let him see me bawl like a little baby again. "I don't...I don't know how…how to listen." I looked fearfully back up when he hissed angrily, continuing to glare at me. "Wh-What?" I hated the way my voice wavered, how obvious it was that I was terrified.

"Hmph! I was correct…"

"Correct with what!?"

"Take a wild guessss."

And the hissing again. Of course. "...what if I don't want to?"

"Heh, suit yourself."

He turned around, walking away. "Okay, fine," I said before he was gone, sighing. "I'll guess. That I'm afraid of you?" He stopped and turned around, that blasted smirk on his face. "Because if that's it, then I'm no-" I stopped. Who was I kidding? There was absolutely no point in denying it. "No...I am. I...I am afraid." That smirk only widened as he turned, walking away and leaving me to wallow in my misery. I groaned, leaning back against the wall. "God, why does this have to be so fucking difficult? Why do I have to be different?" I could feel the tears of frustration running down my face, and I made no effort to wipe them away. No one else could see them. Why couldn't I just obey like everyone else? Was it the things he had done to me? My attitude that controlled me more than I controlled myself? I stared at the stump where my arm had been, the wound surprisingly not bleeding as much as I had expected. Shouldn't I have bled to death already? It didn't matter. I couldn't live life like this, especially not being able to play my flute anymore. There was only one way I could think of to get it back, and I didn't like it one bit. I needed my arm, though, even if it meant stooping to begging him for it and losing the attitude for at least a little while. "I...I have to try. Somehow…" I ran to catch up, though he hadn't moved too far away. "Oro-um, Lord Orochimaru?" I started, figuring it wouldn't kill me to address him "properly" as four eyes would have put it.

He whipped around to face me, his annoyance with me very clear. I flinched despite myself. "What?!" he snarled.

"I...I'm sorry. For my...for my attitude earlier."

He continued to glare at me, obviously not believing my half-assed apology. "Are you sure about that? You are not going to say one thing and do another, are you…"

I had absolutely no idea how to answer that. All this time, I had been saying I'd obey, saying I would stop trying to escape. And what would happen afterward? The same thing...over and over again. He was right to not believe me. I didn't even believe myself. "I…I'll be honest. I don't know. It's harder than it should be for me. I-I can try to be grateful," I added quickly. "And maybe...give a little less attitude."

"If the others can do it, I am certain you can. Besides, you are bound to me, and I do have control over you."

"I know I'm bound to y-wait," I said, realizing the last part of what he had said, "what do you mean you have control over me?"

"You'll find out in due time."

I looked at him warily. "Do I...really want to find out when something happens? Why don't you just tell me now?"

"Why? And spoil the surprise? Ha! Think again."

Okay, now **that** got on my nerves. This was not a surprise I wanted, that much I could tell. "...because I'm betting if it ends up being a surprise, I'm not gonna be alive to remember it?"

"Maybe, maybe not. I need my fair share of fun too…"

"Hmph." I went to cross my arms, only to remember I couldn't exactly do that with only one arm. "Of course you have to get amusement from me. What else is new...I still want to know though," I added, glaring at the ground instead of at him.

"Ha!" I looked up for all of a second before screaming in agony. " **That** is how I am able to control you."

I collapsed to my knees, the curse mark acting up once again. I looked down at my arm, fully expecting the same jagged lines to be crawling down it. But there was nothing. It looked as normal as ever. So what the hell was going on? "What the-What are you doing to me!?" I yelled up at him, terrified because I had no control over my pain.

He tilted his head, taunting me with that infuriating smirk as I suffered beneath him. "You said that you wanted to see it, that you didn't wish to be surprised later on… **This** is how I am able to keep tabs on my subordinates!"

"I just said I wanted to know, not necessarily **see** it," I responded through gritted teeth. It was the only thing keeping me from continuing my screams. "But I guess that's pointless to bring up because the whole 'seeing is believing' nonsense."

"Yesss...It's rather better to see than having to explain it…." he said, watching my struggles without a single care. I groaned, trying to make it stop hurting. "You cannot suppress it, once I have control over it," he added, sensing my futile attempts.

"Urgh…" I grimaced as the pain got worse. "M-Make it stop…" I sighed in relief as the throbbing pain stopped at last. "Th-Thanks," I mumbled.

"Hmph, let that be a lesson...One of **many** to follow, for if you step out of bounds once again, I shan't show any mercy the next time."

I stared incredulously at him. " **This** was showing mercy? I'm missing a fucking arm!"

"Yes…..Yes, it was." I was forced to look up at him, his sword under my chin and tilting my head up. "You're very lucky that I have not killed you."

My eyes widened, another wave of fear overtaking me. "I-I get that. Lucky...except I still am missing an arm…"

"Oh, that is right," he said as if he had just remembered. I knew better. He hadn't forgotten for a second. "Does it look like I care at the moment?"

"I know you don't care. But I do…and I want it back," I dared to add.

"Not until I parade you around as punishment and send a message to the others."

"Is this really necessary?" I mumbled indignantly.

"It. Is," he said, leaning in closer and smirking as I instinctively leaned back away from him. "If others think they can trifle with me, they have another thing coming. **You** are the perfect example of that."

"I know I'm gonna regret asking this, but why me? Why am I this perfect example or whatever?"

"Because that certain attitude and disrespect towards me will show others not to follow that."

"Of fu-" I stopped myself upon him glaring at me again, realizing I was falling back into that 'certain attitude' again. "Of course. Figures." I huffed. "Fine. But can I **please** have my arm back after whatever it is you're planning on doing with me?"

"I'll have to think about it…"

"You have to think about it? Come on, I'm begging you here!" There. I said it, and this time I was actually on my knees before him. If this wasn't begging, I honestly don't know what is.

He put a hand under his chin, thinking it over. "Groveling is a far better word," he finally responded, smirking as if daring me to challenge him.

I wasn't dumb enough to argue over that. "Okay. Fine. Whatever you want to call it. It doesn't make a difference. Same thing." It really was the same thing. Both were things I didn't want to do, especially towards someone like Lord Orochimaru. But, with what was at stake, it wasn't like I had a choice in the matter. If I wanted both my arms, I'd have to learn to suck it up and obey.

"I know it is, but it's far more fitting. Now, get up! Up!"

I jolted as he poked me with the sword. "Alright, alright! Give me a chance to get up before poking me with that!" I clumsily stood up, the missing arm throwing off my balance. "There. I'm up." _Even though I don't want to be,_ I added internally, not daring to say that out loud.

"Now go!" he snapped, glaring at me with absolute rage.

"Go…?" I asked hesitantly. _Go where?_

"Yesssssssss!"

Once again, he poked me with the sword. I moved away from it, and at the same time farther from the exit. "Where am I fu-Where am I even going?" I finally asked, hating this 'need-to-know basis' thing that seemed to be going on right now.

"No questions!" As I said, I really was hating this. He used his sword to lead me down the halls and further into this hellhole, knowing I'd instinctively move away from it. Of course, he knew exactly where he was heading and refused to tell me anything other than to keep moving.

"I ask because it would help me know where to go!" He said nothing to that, which infuriated me even more. _Just where were we-?_ That thought died real fast as I realized I was starting to recognize where we were, and where we were heading. It was all too clear now. He was going to use me to set an example for the others: Sakon and Ukon, Kidōmaru, and Jirōbō. This was all just a way for him to gain more control over us. "Oh, great...do I really have to do this?"

"Yes, yes we do," he said with a fierce glare.

I groaned, hanging my head dejectedly. "I don't want to…" I mumbled, slowing down slightly.

"You **will**!" he snarled, jabbing me with the sword to get me to speed back up.

"O-O-Okay," I stammered, "just please don't make me say anything…"

"There is no need for words anyway." I sighed in relief, relief that didn't last long. We had arrived at their rooms, my room among them. Yes, we had separate rooms now, though probably because it made it easier to contain us. Plus I was the only one actually trying to escape. No point on keeping the others locked up if they weren't going to bother running off. Bunch of idiotic cowards. My eyes widened as snakes slithered around us and opened the doors. Do not ask me how the snakes opened the doors. I never knew they could do that, and I wished they couldn't...or at least that I didn't know about it. The last thing I needed was a snake coming into my room and suffocating me in my sleep. "Well, well. Get out here everyone…" His eyes narrowed as he looked back at me, probably to make sure I hadn't tried to run off yet. "Let's have a short but sweet lesson for today!"

The three of them peeked out, and I could only guess at how I looked to them. I had still been battered up from the previous escape attempt, so I probably looked like shit to begin with. Of course, they were staring at my arms, or rather the teensy little fact that one of them was gone. I didn't like the way they were staring at the pitiful little girl I was. I couldn't handle this. If I just walked away, I could just...

"I think not!" Lord Orochimaru hissed in annoyance, grabbing my hair and yanking me back to his side.

I stumbled backward, somehow managing to not fall on my back or something else stupid. "Fine, fine. Ugh." I groaned and stared at the ground, not wanting anything to do with this now but unable to do anything about it.

"See this?" he asked, turning his attention back to the others. I yelped as I was forced to my knees before him, his sword forcing me to look up at the others. "This is what happens if you disobey me or show any disrespect towards me constantly. Heed my words and gaze upon Tayuya's punishment!"

I averted my eyes, unable to look any of them in the eye. A long, awkward silence passed, made even worse by the fact that I couldn't get out of it. After a while, the others were allowed to leave. "Are we done yet?" I asked angrily, not wanting this to last a moment longer.

"Perhaps…"

"Perhaps?" I shrieked. Oh, how I wanted to scream at him right then and there. I couldn't, though...not if I wanted my body back in one piece. Taking a deep, shaky breath, I asked softly, "What's that supposed to mean?"

He smirked at my change of attitude. "Enough questions," he said, poking me with the sword in the direction of my room.

"Ow!" I yelped, scrambling to my feet so he'd maybe stop sticking that sword in me like I was some pincushion or voodoo doll. "Well, I'm asking because I wanna know!"

"It'll be over when you get your sorry self into your damn room."

"Fine," I said, hearing from his tone that the questions were to stop now. I stood outside my room and, turning around, dared to ask, "And when do I get my arm back?"

"I'll get Kabuto to heal you. Now go to bed."

 _Just what I fucking need, for him to see this too._ "Thanks," I snapped with only as much sarcasm as I thought I could get away with. I stormed inside, still pissed, hearing the door close shut behind me. Turning back around, I went back to the door, mind whirling with ideas. I tried the handle, just for shits and giggles. It was locked, of course. Did he know I was going to try again right after this one? I plopped on the bed, annoyed that I even thought for a second that it would be a good idea to try so soon...especially when I was still missing an arm. As if my chances of actually succeeding weren't terrible enough.

I looked up as I heard the door unlock. "Oh, it's you."

"Yes, it's me, girlie," Kabuto said, entering the room. "What happened to you anyway? What did I miss?"

"Nothing that I want you to fucking know," I snapped, glaring.

"Why are you even glaring at me like that for?"

I rolled my eyes. "Because I'm pissed off and you just happen to be in my sight?"

"Awwwww, that's too bad," he said. He moved near me and kneeled beside the bed, his face right in front of mine. "How's this?" he asked with false innocence.

I groaned, shoving at him with my free arm. He moved away before I could, of course. "Fucking hell. As awful as always, just like **Orochimaru**."

"That's **Lord** Orochimaru to you. You should be showing more respect towards your master." I wanted nothing more than to yell at him that **Lord** Orochimaru was not my goddamn master. "Is that why your arm is missing?"

"Shut up!" I snarled, glaring at him again.

"Do not tell me to shut up. I am only stating what I see. You must have done something to set Lord Orochimaru off in a rage like that."

I cringed at that, looking up at the ceiling to avoid his accusatory glare. "I'm not about to fucking tell you. Just shut up."

"You did, didn't you? I **knew** it! That explains Lord Orochimaru's unusual grumpiness."

I huffed, rolling my eyes once again. "Whatever. Not my problem."

"It's always not your problem, isn't it? You live here, so I would say that it **is** your problem."

"Oh, shut the fuck up, you fucking bastard four-eyed son of a bitch."

"Now, now, language!" he said like he was scolding a little child. I wasn't a child! Sure, I was only thirteen, but he couldn't have been that much older than me. "I **hate** unmannerly brats."

"Language my ass!" I responded. "Do you think I give a shit?"

"You should actually. Hmmmm. Well, every time you show disrespect I'll break something."

My eyes narrowed at that. The way he said it, with complete nonchalance, unnerved me a bit. Was he actually being serious? "You...you wouldn't."

"Oh, I would, and you know I can, with my chakra scalpels," he replied, showing one of his hands surrounded by that same chakra from before. I instantly moved back a bit, knowing how dangerous that stuff was. So that's what they were called. "So, unless you want your body to be in so much pain you're begging for mercy, you'll stop being disrespectful towards Lord Orochimaru."

"Oh, fine." Groaning, I sat up and turned to face him, holding out my stump of an arm. "Are you gonna heal me or what?"

He didn't exactly look pleased about that. The feeling was fucking mutual. "Yes, but only because our master ordered me to," he said as if challenging me to say otherwise. I glared but didn't say a word. I needed my arm back, preferably without him breaking the one still left in the process. He smirked, the look alone reminding me a bit of Lord Orochimaru himself. _Oh, great, another person who abuses that look too much._ I watched with begrudging awe as he actually regenerated my arm. I couldn't help but be amazed and jealous of four eyes. Geez, what the hell was wrong with me?

That would be the end of my escape attempts. My body wasn't broken anymore, but my soul had been shattered into a million pieces with no way to repair the damage. Whatever hope had remained before had been cruelly snatched from me, leaving behind an empty shell of the fierce, hot-blooded girl I had become. My freedom was no more, replaced with forced loyalty to Lord Orochimaru.

* * *

 **I told you to trust me! This is honestly the longest part I have ever written now, and it's amazing how much I can do when I put my mind to it.**

 **A little side note: I actually just relented and started using Grammarly on my laptop, and it actually catches a lot of mistakes for me. I apparently use commas way more than I need to, and sometimes I don't even use commas where they are needed. I took the opportunity to go back through the past chapters and have Grammarly fix my mistakes in those chapters. These chapters are now updated and have been grammatically improved for reading enjoyment. You don't have to go back and reread it, but I just thought I would point it out.**

 **Lord Orochimaru2703 and I actually had the last review planned out a bit. I had started this out originally as the whole "I don't want to share this" and I thought it would be funny if there was a reason for her saying that. If you haven't read the reviews yet, they're great and always manage to make me laugh. Also, we called this one "escape attempts galore". Fitting, isn't it?**

 **I had to ask myself if it is even possible to really survive this kind of wound. My response: "You know what, if half the shit that can happen in the Narutoverse does, why can't losing an arm and then gaining it back be too?" This isn't the most outlandish thing I've seen in Naruto, and that's coming from the person who hasn't even watched Shippūden yet. The original RP this sixth escape attempt was based on originally had both arms sliced off, but I sometimes change things. That being one of them. I also made some things worse for Tayuya than they originally were too, but that's for only me and Lord Orochimaru2703 to know.**

 **The sad thing is Tayuya is enough of a bitch that this particular instance wasn't even the first time body parts have been chopped off...or even the first time both arms went. Oops? The part with Kabuto at the end was inspired by the first of such instances...where she had both her arms and legs broken, then both arms chopped off and would have had her legs chopped off too until Orochimaru decided to go for the eyes instead. She didn't lose an eye, mind you, because that's when she just absolutely broke down. This was probably the cruelest RP I have ever done, if _only_ because she didn't regain her arms until weeks later after almost being killed because she still has an attitude problem (not by Orochimaru though). I swear, her attitude and the situations she gets into is a running trend for us. She just never seems to learn. She has died before, too.**

 **Also, yes. Snakes _can_ learn how to open doors. If you want to see it, just look it up. Snakes are actually very smart compared to what I thought. It's actually kind of terrifying, and this is coming from someone who is more or less okay with snakes.**

 **Alright, I'm out because I sound like shit from this cold I just got during the break. So yeah...if I don't update on next Tuesday, that's why.**


	10. 10

**Yeah, yeah, that thing of how I "disobey and disrespect" you** **. I've heard that garbage before. And you're _not_ my goddamn master.**

 **...t-that wasn't it? And leave my eyes out of this. Besides, without them, wouldn't I be completely useless to you? I still need my eyes to fight, even if I'm not the one who usually does the actual fighting.**

* * *

"I've had **enough** of your attitude!"

I yelped as Lord Orochimaru backhanded me across the face. "Ow! What the hell!?"

"Guess you like to be punished," he hissed.

Rolling my eyes, I responded with as much sarcasm as possible, "Yeah, because I **totally** enjoy being in pain."

"Good!"

I stared in complete unamusement. "I was being sarcastic," I muttered.

"Yesssss! I know that."

He sounded like he was losing his patience with me. Could I get away with one more stupid thing? I figured I might as well try. I stuck my tongue out at him, pulling at the skin under my right eye with my middle finger. Might as well flip him off at the same time. Apparently, the answer to that question was no, because before I could even blink, he had whipped out his sword and stabbed me right in said eye. I shrieked, trying to stop the bleeding. "What the fuck was that for!?"

"Awwwwww..." He tilted his head in mock pity. "Such a shame. Here I was, willing to spare you. I seemed to have changed my mind, little whelp," he added, shrugging and shaking his head.

"Spare me from what? And I am **not** little!" I yelled. He didn't answer, instead reaching to my face and yanking out my other eye as I stood there, terrified beyond belief.

I opened my eyes, the darkness suffocating me as I laid on my back. I could feel the sweat on my face, but there wasn't any pain. _Was it even real?_ With a trembling hand, I touched my face, almost sighing in relief when I felt eyeballs rather than empty sockets. It was just a dream, the latest of many to have plagued my sleep. Each was basically the same: something would happen that made Lord Orochimaru angry at me, and he would unleash his wrath on me. They all felt so real. Sometimes they were so terrible that I wouldn't sleep for days, terrified that the next nightmare would be even worse. _I definitely won't be sleeping tonight_ , I thought as I wiped the tears from my eyes.

I nearly jumped when the door opened. Glaring at the intruder, I snapped, "Go the fuck away, four eyes. I'm not in the mood to train with Orochimaru."

" **Lord** Orochimaru," he corrected.

"Whatever," I groaned, rolling my eyes.

"You should treat Lord Orochimaru with the proper respect unless you want your arm broken again. Perhaps I should break one of your ribs again because I remember how much you enjoyed that. Or...I could sever one of your optic nerves and make you go blind in one of your eyes." He grinned maliciously at the terrified look on my face. "Keep up the disrespectful attitude and I'll do just that."

I shuddered at the thought. "Okay, fine. I'm coming," I grumbled, following after Kabuto. Once I had finally "come to my senses", Lord Orochimaru allowed me and the other three former-prisoners to roam around the hideout, and we became known as the Sound Four. Don't ask me why we were called that. Hell, I'm the only one who actually used sound to fight. Maybe it was because we were from the Land of Sound, but honestly, I couldn't care less.

Sakon, Ukon, and Kidōmaru were the only ones who actually got along with each other at the beginning. Of course, with Sakon and Ukon being twins living in the same damn body, it'd make sense that they'd get along. The twins and spider boy were friends before all this, constantly causing trouble until they had ended up attracting Orochimaru's attention.

Jirōbō just didn't really care one way or another. He tolerated us, nothing more.

As for me? I hated all their sorry asses. It was my goal every day to piss everyone off. It worked most of the time, and it was the only way I could deal with...well, everything. The only one it didn't work against was Lord Orochimaru, no matter how hard I tried. It pissed me off to no end! It's like he knew I was trying so hard to annoy him. Yeah, yeah, I know he told me to respect him, but again, do you think I actually listened? I listened just enough to call him "Lord" Orochimaru...to his face, but that's about it. I gave him as much attitude as I could and only stopped when he threatened pain worse than before...pain that I did not want to experience for myself. Ugh, I couldn't even tell you how many times I wished I could kill the fucking snake lord! I wish I had at least tried because I hated how he made it clear that he was in control.

The only time I could release all that built-up anger and hatred was when he'd train with us. That happened a lot, actually. Even though I had seemed pissed about it, I was glad it did, because if it hadn't, I probably would have tried to take my frustrations out on my Sound Four "teammates" long ago. Sometimes, he would have us work together so that we would be able to better fight as a team. Not that it really worked, because we all thought of ourselves as the best and everyone else just got in the way. Other times, he'd train us individually while the other three practiced against each other. This was one of those times, and I was the odd one out. Lucky me.

I wasted no time in pulling out my flute, which I did get back, by the way. He knew I wasn't going to try to escape again, not after the last time...though he made sure to wait a couple weeks first. I quickly started to play, trying to summon my Doki so I would actually have a shot of winning. Sure, the chances of that were about as good as my chances of escaping were, but it was better than nothing. Before I could even finish the melody, he rushed at me with that damned sword of his. I was forced to leap back before it could cut me clean in half. Concentration broken, I started again, a little pissed off. Once again, I was forced to stop and dodge, this time from several snakes. This cycle continued for a while until finally I stopped and snapped, "What's the fucking point of this? Am I supposed to fight you by myself? Because we both know how well that fucking turned out."

"No. I am trying to show you that your methods are time-consuming."

Four eyes, who just happened to be there at the moment, sneered. "Are you that much of a dullard that you can't figure it out?"

I glared at the four-eyed bastard for that stupid comment. I had no idea what a fucking dullard was, but I could guess it was not a compliment. I turned my attention back to Lord Orochimaru. "Okay, it takes too long. Does it fucking matter? Unless you have a better way of doing it, which if not, then fucking piss off."

"I would watch that attitude of yours if I were you," Lord Orochimaru replied, his tone alone telling me that continuing was not a good idea. I cowered in fear, the nightmare still on my mind. "If you wish to know, I will teach you, but only if you can be respectful and quiet."

With that said, he taught me these things called hand signs to summon them without using my flute. I shut up long enough to learn because, as much as I hated to admit he was right, it was useful to know in the off chance I didn't have my flute...again. It was tough figuring out the different hand signs, especially the third one, tori. How the hell were you supposed to form that one quickly? Probably through practice and time, just like the original melody had been. At the moment, it was damn difficult, especially when you had to interlock the middle and ring fingers, while having the index and pinkie fingers straight and touching, and then on top of that having the thumbs a certain way. Though, even with my clumsy movements, it was still quicker than before. Why did he have to be right, damnit?

I later watched as Lord Orochimaru taught the same technique to Kidōmaru and Sakon. I smirked as the former struggled with it. Hey, I was glad I wasn't the only one. Plus I was glad I didn't need blood for my summons since it didn't require it before. It didn't surprise me one bit that spider boy summoned spiders. Back then, I didn't know about Lord Orochimaru's fear of insects (which, by the way, is fucking hilarious and something I mock to no end), but I did notice he kept his distance from the spider. Sakon, on the other hand, quickly caught on to Kuchiyose no Jutsu and in no time could summon a giant...demonic wall thingie. It kind of pissed me off that he was able to do it faster than me, even if a very small part of me thought he was amazing...for a piece of trash.

* * *

"Ah, much better."

I sighed, stretching out on the section of the roof visible from underneath the dirt. I had taken to sleeping outside whenever I could. Nothing beat the feeling of the wind blowing on my face and the sounds of the night lulling me to sleep. The only thing that ever kept me from sleeping out here was a fuckton of rain and the weather decided to be an absolute bitch...like last night had been. I wanted nothing to do with this Sound Four shit or the people in it. Or anyone in this accursed place, for that matter.

Today had pissed me off more than usual, to the point where I had stormed out of the hideout and went straight to my hiding spot. Why the hell did he always have to be fucking right about everything? It frustrated me **so** much. I was given a few minutes of peaceful silence before I heard someone approaching. I stayed silent and didn't move, hoping whoever it was wouldn't find me.

There was no such luck, though. I glared up at the intruder. "Fucking piss off, fairy boy," I snapped.

"Glad to see you're as cheerful as ever," Sakon responded as he sat next to me. Why couldn't he just leave me the fuck alone? "Why are you even out here? Isn't it a bit cold?"

"I don't give a fuck," I replied, turning away from him. "I like it better out here. It gives me some little sense of freedom in this hellhole."

He snorted at that. "What freedom? If you think just sitting out here is freedom, you've really lost that fire you had at the beginning."

"I have not! And you're one to talk, considering you go along with ansolutely everything he says!" I knew Sakon would know exactly who I was talking about. The less I had to say Lord Orochimaru's name out loud, the better.

He chuckled at that. "Well, if you fell for it, then I must be doing something right."

I stared at him, confused. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I hate this as much as you do, Tayuya. I just don't show it because I actually know when to keep my mouth shut." I glared at him, though he either didn't notice or didn't care. Knowing him, it was probably the latter. "You said before you wanted revenge against Lord Orochimaru, and so do I."

"I never said that." Surprising, I know, but that was one thing I kept to myself.

"You talk in your sleep."

"Do not!"

"Yeah, you do. When you're not crying out from whatever nightmares you must have or cursing nonstop, you talk about getting revenge on Lord Orochimaru. It's kind of fun to listen to."

"Let me guess, everyone knows now."

"No. Just me and Ukon. We're pretty light sleepers."

Wait a minute. "What the hell-were you fucking creeping on me? You pervert!"

"I wasn't, I swear! That's just wrong," he added with a look of disgust that would have been hilarious any other time. "I'd wake up sometimes and one night I just happened to hear you. That's all." For some reason, I actually believed him. He just didn't seem the type to...ugh, never mind. I don't need those kinds of images in my head. "I was going to wake you up at first, but I didn't think you'd like that. I thought you'd punch me in the face or something. So I just sat and listened."

"Hmph." I turned away and crossed my arms, even more pissed off now. "Glad to know you were listening to me while I was sleeping."

"Glad you're glad," he replied. I was starting to wonder if he even knew I was being sarcastic, or maybe he was just giving it right back. "So why are you really out here? You seemed rather pissed."

"You think? Well, if it wasn't fucking obvious, I am! God, I hate how he hangs it over my head!" At Sakon's vacant expression, I continued, "Him being in control. I also hate that he's the reason I was even in prison."

"Yeah, and? We all were in prison, last time I checked."

"He had no right to do it, though! I was just trying to find my sister! Sure, I may have destroyed a village in the process, but it's because they tried to stop me!"

He stared dubiously at me. "That's...not a reason to be imprisoned?"

"No," I shouted. "No, it's not! If it hadn't been for him, I would have found my sister and that would have been the end of it! But no. This mess just had to happen! And because of this, my sister is dead and I'm stuck here with you scumbags!"

"Do you think you're the only one?" Sakon replied back with as much fire in his voice. "Well, you're not!"

"Oh, really? Tell me, then. You already know how I got here, so how the hell did you wind up here?"

"Why should I tell a b-!"

His response was muffled by a hand clasped over his mouth. The other head, Ukon, was staring at his brother, a look of annoyance on his face. Guess it wasn't just decoration after all. "Would you shut up?" Ukon snapped half-heartedly, his voice deeper and raspier than Sakon's. "Just tell her. It won't kill you."

Ukon moved his hand away to allow Sakon to reply. "Fine. But why couldn't you have just said so?"

"I didn't want you to say something you'd regret," Ukon said with a smirk that must have meant something to Sakon because he turned away from the both of us. Satisfied, Ukon went back to doing what he always seemed to do: sleep.

A few moments of tense silence followed. Finally, I bluntly asked, "What happened?" It was then that he told me of what happened five years before.

Sakon and Ukon had lived in a village only a few days away from my own. They were orphans, their parents having died when they were only about five or six years old. Shortly after, they had run into Kidōmaru, a boy who had ran away from his home in the Land of Lightning. The three quickly became friends, and soon after that they started causing trouble. Not just the typical stealing ryō or food to survive, though. They would pull these elaborate pranks on people just because it was fun. They never got caught, not with Kidōmaru being able to stop anyone from following them with his sticky webs.

One day, they decided to set fire to the home of a man who had wronged them. Just a small house fire, nothing more. But the fire quickly spread out of control. They managed to escape while the whole village burned down behind them. Not that they cared, because as they put it, it's not like they liked their home. They only had each other there. Sakon claimed that no one survived, and they were proud of what they had done. They looted through the remains while celebrating their big "accomplishment". They destroyed whatever structures hadn't been brought down by flames. In the rubble, they had come across some drink they hadn't known what it was, though they later realized it was a bottle of sake from a bar. They quickly got drunk and passed out in the ruined streets, still giddy over the chaos they had caused.

Drunk as they were, they never stood a chance to Lord Orochimaru's subordinates, who had happened to stumble on the sleeping children. They fought back, of course, but it didn't do them much good in the long run.

I managed to stay quiet for the entire story. When he finished, I smirked and said, "So you got drunk, huh?"

"Yeah. So what? Haven't you?"

"No."

"I'm sure you wanted to at some point."

"And that's how you got here?" I asked, refusing to admit that I had been curious before...and had gotten drunk once. I didn't like the taste, though, so I never drank it again.

"Yep. That's it." He looked at me as if trying to understand my reaction. "What are you smiling for?" he asked, confused.

"We're more alike than I thought," I responded absentmindedly, counting off the things I listed on my fingers. "We both got villages destroyed, were captured by Lord Orochimaru, and hate his guts as a result."

"Hmm...you don't say?" He looked up at the full moon, seemingly lost in thought. "You know, if we could control the curse mark, I bet the two of us could bring him down."

"Control it?" I burst out in laughter. "As if! I personally know that damn thing's impossible to control! Hell, you saw it yourself!"

"There has to be a way. And I'll prove it."

"Yeah, and the day that happens pigs will fly," I goaded, snorting derisively.

"Just you wait. You'll see."

* * *

 **I'm late. Very late. I know. But that cold just was a back-and-forth fight. I think I won. Emphasis on think. And then...well, finals week happened. Thank god it's all over and I can write in peace. And then there was this weird glitch going on where it sometimes showed empty pages when I tried to open docs or save them. First not being able to work on docs in general, now this? Come on, I can't work under these conditions, FanFiction!**

 **Okay, this was another one where I combined parts, and then I added a new part with the dream/nightmare. I tried hard this time not to make the reaction of waking up overly dramatic and based it more on how I wake up from "nightmares", even the whole making sure that any lost body parts are still there (this happens a lot with me and teeth).**

 **The first part (after the nightmare, that is) was almost entirely made to retcon a mistake I made in the near beginning involving Tayuya's Summoning Technique for her Doki. Back then, I didn't know a whole lot and hadn't gotten to the Tayuya vs. Shikamaru fight yet, so I made up the whole flute melody being the key to summoning them. However, as I learned much later, that is not the case. Rather than changing what I had before, I thought why not make there be a reason why she'd switch to the normal hand-sign method of summoning her Doki. This was the result of that.** **It was also around this time when I realized that it's very heavily implied, if not flat out stated (it's been a while since I've seen the Sound Four fights), that she is only able to use the genjutsu in the second stage. I'm not changing that one though, because then I'd have to go back in time and fix a lot of plot holes that creates, holes that I just do not and probably never would have the time to fill.**

 **Also, a little side note. So, I have cosplayed as Tayuya because I can play the flute and piccolo and, if it isn't clear yet, I like Tayuya. While working on making the cosplay itself and learning some songs on the piccolo (Orochimaru's Theme among them), I also learned the hand signs for the summoning technique, just because I could. And that tori one was by far the hardest one to learn and to do it quickly. Tayuya's frustrations were very much my own during this process. I recently timed how fast I could do the Summoning Technique, as I did get rusty. My average time was about three seconds, which definitely could be faster than her playing her flute melody. So, yes, Orochimaru was right all along. Figures.**

 **Edit: flute melody I used was about ten seconds. So, yes, Orochimaru was right by a lot.**

 **So, next week there won't be a chapter here, but I have a Christmas oneshot in the works for next Tuesday. So, merry Christmas everyone!**


	11. 11

**You're not _always_ right, damnit! Just because you were right then doesn't mean shit!**

 **Ha ha ha. Funny. I wish it had been, then I wouldn't have to put up with this.**

 **Sak...yuya? What the hell? No. Just...god no! Stupid shipping names...**

* * *

Well, it happened. Pigs flew. Sakon had come up to me about a week later to show off his newfound skill. After having bragged about it for a good five minutes, he taught me how to do it as well. It was a pain in the ass. Sure, it was easy to use it, but there was a certain balance to it that made it so much more difficult. Use too much or use it too quickly, and you'd have the agonizing pain I had before when I had been still trying to escape. On the other hand, use too little or use it too slowly, and it'd drain your chakra down to nearly nothing. I finally did catch on, though not without several of both experiences. I still hated the stupid thing with a passion, but at least it wouldn't be so terrible now.

A couple weeks passed. This day, the four of us were going to train with each other. Or, at least, we **were** going to. That plan didn't exactly last too long. "So...who's the leader out of the four of us?" Kidōmaru randomly decided to ask, before answering his own stupid question. "Personally, I think it should be me. I'm the best strategist out of us, so I obviously should lead."

"I'm the strongest," Jirōbō butted in.

"You wish!" Sakon laughed. "You're the weakest one here, fatty. I'm the strongest, so that makes me the leader."

"Does it fucking matter?" I interrupted, groaning in frustration. "It's not like we can just do whatever, whenever."

"Of course it matters!" Kidōmaru said, looking offended, not that I gave a shit about him or his stupid feelings. "There's always a party leader. And that is the protagonist...me!"

"This isn't a game, Kidōmaru. This is real life," Sakon replied.

"Which is what makes this so fucking stupid," I interrupted, though Sakon continued on regardless.

"In real life, the strongest is the one who leads. I'm stronger than you, so I should be the leader!"

"I'm the strongest," Jirōbō repeated.

"No, you aren't!" Sakon and Kidōmaru said at the same time.

Why did they fucking care so damn much? "I swear, you fools are thinking with your dicks rather than your brains. Not that you shitheads had much there to begin with," I added snidely.

Of course, Jirōbō had to respond to that. "Tayuya, you shouldn't use such language."

"Like I care, you weak piece of crap!"

"I'm not weak."

"Are too, fatso!"

"You know what? I'll prove it to you," Sakon yelled over our bantering, turning to Kidōmaru. Jirōbō and I both decided to shut up and listen. "We fight, and whoever wins is the leader. Good enough?"

"Yeah! It's about time! Weren't we gonna do this before when y-?"

"Shut up!" Sakon snapped, suddenly irritated. Spider boy must have somehow hit a nerve, though I had no idea what it could be, nor did I care at the time. "No one needs to know about that!" Sakon rushed at Kidōmaru, only just managing to avoid the spider web sent his way. I knew that, if any of those webs connected, this fight was as good as over. Kidōmaru had bragged before that nothing could break them with force, not even two elephants pulling at each end. Firsthand experience showed me that it was probably true.

Arms were flying, and not just because spider boy had three on each side. Sakon suddenly had three arms on one side, each one interlocked with one of Kidōmaru's. What was going on? Never had he done something like this that I had seen. _Is this somehow Ukon's doing?_ I wondered. The two struggled to overpower the other when Sakon unleashed a flurry of kicks on his other side at ridiculous speeds. Unless, of course, it was just like the arms. Kidōmaru jumped out of range before he got too battered. Spitting his spider silk out of his mouth, he mixed it together in his hands before throwing it at Sakon, the ball expanding into a large spider web.

Suddenly, Sakon's Rashōmon rose from the ground, the web sticking onto it instead. So focused as I was on spider boy that I hadn't even realized what Sakon was up to. He liked to call that demonic wall thingie "Lord Orochimaru's ultimate defense". Not even my Doki were able to put a dent in it without fucking wailing on it dozens of times.

Kidōmaru leaped into the air, some of his silk threads latching on to the top of the Rashōmon. Two of his arms held him up in the air, dangling from his threads, while the other four pulled out more silk. This silk, though, was golden in color and seemed much harder. Sakon's eyes widened, seeing something I couldn't. He ran to intercept Kidōmaru but stopped upon Kidōmaru dropping down in front of him. The golden silk had formed into a bow and arrow, the arrow pointed straight at Sakon. "Game over," Kidōmaru said triumphantly. "I know your reflexes are quick, but can you really dodge this at point-blank range? You made the difficulty too easy."

What unnerved me was that Sakon didn't appear at all concerned. He chuckled, tilting his head to the side in mock confusion. "Did I? Aren't you forgetting something?"

I realized just as Kidōmaru did what was wrong: there was only one head. So where was the second?

"As overconfident as always."

I recognized that voice. Ukon. Except he wasn't just a head on Sakon's body. He was a full person. They were nearly identical in appearance, being twins, except Ukon's hair covered the left side of his face instead of the right, and he wasn't wearing a red beaded necklace like Sakon did. He was standing behind Kidōmaru, pressing a kunai to the older boy's throat. "As you'd say, game over," Sakon said, a cocky grin on his face.

"Yeah, yeah," Kidōmaru muttered, lowering the arrow pointed at Sakon's heart. Only then did Ukon move the kunai away. Spider boy plopped down, sprawling out on the ground with all six arms laying haphazardly. "But only because Ukon decided to finally come out in a fight for the first time in five years. So there. You're the leader now, Sakon. Happy?"

He nodded as Ukon walked over and literally merged back into his brother, becoming just the head once again. Yeah, **totally** not creepy at all. "Yep. In more ways than one."

I rolled my eyes. "Great to know our leader's a fucking two-headed fairy boy." Sakon looked unamused but said nothing. I stood up and added, "Well, I'm just gonna leave before you scumbags do something even more stupid."

Before anyone asks, the reason I didn't try to butt heads with them was that it was utterly ridiculous. I didn't care who was the leader of this stupid Sound Four nonsense, and it wasn't my problem. Why would I want to be the leader of such a stupid group of losers anyway?

I was barely out of the room when Sakon added, "And you're next under me, Tayuya."

I stopped, turning around. Maybe I misheard him. "What," I said, the word sounding more like a statement than the question it was meant to be.

"You heard me. You're second to me. If you have a problem with it, too bad."

I huffed in annoyance and walked out, having nothing to say in response to this stupid situation I found myself in. Why the hell did he do that for? Kidōmaru would have been a better choice any day of the week. And it's not like I wanted this...even if a small part of me felt proud that he believed I was stronger than fatso and spider boy.

* * *

 **Happy New Year!**

 **And I'll be honest. I started out 2019 by procrastinating this chapter. Oops? I had plans to make this bigger and better, plans that went down the drain. I just couldn't figure it out. I'll make up for it later...I hope.**

 **Anyway, I don't have much to say, so I'll see you guys next week!**


	12. 12

**Again, no. Mutiny my ass.**

 **Blah, blah, blah. I'm not listening.**

 **Y-Oh, shut up! No one needs to know that's happened before! Or the reason why...**

* * *

"Why'd you do it?"

I was once again up on the roof, talking to fairy boy of all people. "Do what?" he asked as if he didn't already know what I meant. Who knows, maybe he didn't.

"Kidōmaru would have been a better choice," I said. How could he have honestly forgotten what happened two days ago? I certainly didn't. "So why me?"

"You're a better choice."

"Am not," I snapped. I hated to admit it, but it was true. "He's much better at strategies and fighting. The only things I'm better at than him are genjutsu and summoning, which, by the way, is my only way of fighting."

" **And** he's almost completely loyal to Lord Orochimaru."

"What's loyalty got to do with it?"

"I'd rather that my second not be blindly following Lord Orochimaru's commands."

"Whatever," I muttered, no longer giving a shit about the reason. As I had said before, it didn't matter anyway. Whether we liked it or not, Lord Orochimaru was the one in charge of us. "Won't matter anyway if I manage to get myself killed because of that."

"You haven't yet," he replied cheerfully. My only response was a dramatic rolling of my eyes. He had a point, but I didn't exactly want to push my luck too far. "Oh, by the way, I've got something to say." He sat down beside me, giddy over whatever he was about to tell me. "We should leave."

"Wh-What?" Did I just hear him say that for real? "Are you serious, you fool? You **do** realize that he'd easily hunt us down, right? We wouldn't even last a day." God, that was so painful to admit, true or not. If my escape attempts had taught me anything, it was that escaping from Lord Orochimaru was pretty much impossible.

"I didn't mean it like that. I wanted to show you my home. Or where it used to be before we destroyed it," he added with a chuckle. "And then we could find where your home is. I'm sure you miss it. What do you say?"

I stared incredulously at him. For the second time in five minutes, I found myself asking why me? Why me, and not Kidōmaru, whose home was the same as Sakon's? I couldn't figure it out for the life of me. I did want to see my home, though, and did it really matter who it was that took me there? No, it really didn't. "Fine, but you're explaining this if one of his subordinates comes after us thinking we're trying to escape." Because that's the last thing I want, I added silently to myself. The memories of the punishment for my final attempt were still fresh in my mind, even though I kept trying to forget them. I was willing to bet that, if there ever was one, the next punishment would be even worse.

"Yes!" Sakon jumped off the roof. I rolled my eyes as he did a couple of front flips in the air and waved me forward as he landed perfectly on his feet. _Show off._ "Follow me!" he called out. And, despite how stupid I felt with my decision, I did just that.

I had expected for it to take at least a couple days, considering the leisurely pace we were going, so I was shocked when he stopped after only a few hours to point at the beginnings of a pile of debris. "Here it is," he said, "what's left of it, that is." The village must have been quite prosperous when it had still been standing. Charred wood laid everywhere, though the forest was starting to take over the ruined village. It was clear that the wreckage had already been pillaged of most of its valuable items and the necessities for living. It was...beautiful, in its own chaotic way. "Like what you see?" Sakon asked, interrupting the silence.

I nodded, the closest response I'd give to saying yes. "I can't believe you guys did this. How old were you, nine?"

"Eight, actually," he replied, smirking at my disbelief. "If we had caused the fire a week earlier like I had wanted to, Ukon and I would have been seven."

"Wait, when's your birthday then?"

"Why does it matter?"

"Cause you said this was five years ago. And we're the same age right now, dumbass. Seriously, when is it?"

"...June 20th," he answered hesitantly.

"Oh my god, I'm older than you!" I burst out laughing, for some reason finding that I was older than him very amusing.

"Yeah, and? I'm still stronger than you, even if I'm younger. And I'm taller," he added, putting his hand on my head as if to make a point.

"Whatever, fairy boy," I muttered, shoving his hand away. Figures that he had to point out how I was shorter than everybody else.

"What an endearing nickname! Thanks!"

I glared at him, even more annoyed than before. "Let's go. I know the way to my home from here." I stalked off before he could even respond.

At first, we traveled in silence, mostly because I was still slightly irritated at him for basically calling me short and weak. Eventually, I couldn't take the silence anymore and reluctantly started talking to him. Three days of silence would have been much worse, I figured. I had to admit that talking to him wasn't as bad as I'd thought it would be. It really served to kill the time. I never expected to actually get along with him, yet here we were talking as if we were friends.

I also didn't expect to reach my home only to find it in shambles.

"Oh my god," I whispered, unable to believe what I was seeing. It wasn't destroyed like Sakon's had been, but it was clear the place hadn't had anyone living there for a couple years. I forced myself to look around to see what might have happened. Bodies laid everywhere, the rotting flesh filling the air with a smell that was absolutely disgusting. The eyes that hadn't been eaten by scavenging animals were wide in terror, mouths open in screams that had died with them. A few still had visible wounds from what I thought to be kunai, but there wasn't a single weapon to be seen in any of the dead. All I knew was that whoever the people were that managed to do this must have been ruthless.

"What happened here?"

I hadn't even heard Sakon approach. "I don't know…" It was then I stumbled upon what looked like a diary or something. I picked up the bloodstained book, dusting off the dirt and grime on the cover. Gingerly, I opened it, hoping it had some clue as to what happened here. The words were barely legible, leading me to believe they had been written by a snotty nosed brat barely old enough to read or write. I turned to the last entry, moving my lips as I read the words in my head, mentally making sense of the sloppy, misspelled words written on the page.

"Mommy and Daddy still haven't come back after they left. They were going fast. Daddy said home being 'tacked' and for me to stay and wait. I waited and waited. Why did they leave me? Was it because of the monster they were talking about? Mommy said it was a demon look like a girl. She told me this girl demon had pink hair and something called a 'flu'—"

I stopped reading. _No...it can't be!_ I hurled the wretched book as far as I could away from me, refusing to believe this child who had to have been making it all up. The child...they had to have been lying! Or maybe heard it wrong. You couldn't trust little kids and their damn imaginations anyway. I stormed through the alleyways, hoping that what I was about to see wouldn't be what I thought it was.

At last, I found the main entrance. I went out a little bit and turned as if I was about to enter the village. As I stared at the faded markings, the memory struck me full force.

 _Almost there. That had been the mantra repeated in my head as I had approached the last village between me and Setsuko. I figured I had only a few more days to go, a week tops if I ran into trouble, which had been happening a lot recently. People couldn't seem to get it through their thick skulls that I had somewhere to be and had no time for their petty problems. I had taken to killing these fools. Wasted less time in the end._

 _"One more village. Just one more," I muttered as I entered. It had become a mantra I found myself constantly repeating. Just one more, and I'd see Setsuko once again. Nothing else mattered. Nothing except finding my sister._

 _"Hello there, young one," a man called out to me. Great, another fool for me to kill. "It's getting rather late. Why don't you stay here for the night before you head o-!" He never had the chance to finish his sentence. The kunai buried in his throat guaranteed that._

 _"How dare these fools get in my way!?" I snarled, shoving the body to the ground. Blood spurted from the open wound. I would bathe this village in the crimson of their blood! "How dare they prevent me from finding my sister!" As they died one by one, I heard what they said. They called me a monster, a demon. I relished in the terror they brought. But among it was recognition...or the sense that they should know me for more than just striking fear into the hearts of those I faced. As if from a time long ago..._

I gasped for breath, not realizing I had even been holding it. I reached down, picking up the toy frog that a child must have dropped in the chaos. Only a few feet away did I see a small body lying face down in the dirt. I didn't want to see their innocent face staring at me in wide-eyed terror. I didn't want to. But...I had to. Turning the body over, I realized I recognized the little boy in the decayed corpse. Little Akio, Setsuko had called him. We had played together in the past when our parents went into the village to shop. He hadn't changed much in the years I had been gone, and he definitely hasn't grown any since...since **I** killed him. I couldn't deny it now. It **was** true. "I...I did it."

"Did what?"

"I...I killed them all."

"...wow."

"'Wow'? **That's** what you have to say? You fucking ass!" I screamed, throwing the frog toy at Sakon. I didn't even care if I hit him or not. I needed some way to vent all my anger and frustration. I ran into the village, fully intent on destroying the place to hide it from existence as if by doing so, the world would forget the heinous deeds I had committed here. I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned around, trying to shove Sakon away. "Just leave me alone!" I yelled, throat hoarse and tears threatening to spill. I did not want him to see me like this. I didn't want him to see me at my weakest.

"No," he said, not leaving any room for argument.

Of course, being me, I argued. "I said leave!" I went to shove him again, but before I could, he grabbed my arms and pinned them to my sides. "I swear to god, Sakon, you better leave me alone right now!"

"Snap out of it, Tayuya!" he snapped, slapping me hard across the face. I stared at him, stunned. "I'm not leaving you, and that's that. I don't care whether you scream or bawl or whatever. I'm **not** leaving."

At those words, I finally broke down sobbing. I couldn't hold it in anymore. Despite everything that I had been through, I had thought that, once I had escaped the miserable confines of my forced servitude, that I would have a home to return to, even if my family was dead. It gave me something to look forward to. The possibility of seeing the wind blow the branches of the trees outside the house, the sun peeking through the leaves. It was all gone. I had nothing to return to here.

I was startled upon feeling a pair of arms wrapped around me. I stared for a moment at Sakon, who was **hugging** me, of all things. But, at that moment, I didn't give a shit. I rested my head against his shoulder, continuing to cry until I had no tears left to cry.

"Hate to break this up, but Lord Orochimaru sent me to find you."

I pulled abruptly out of Sakon's embrace and turned to see spider boy standing there, an annoyed look on his face. "Can it wait?" Sakon asked irritably as if he was the one who should be mad rather than, oh, I don't know, the girl who just realized she had killed everyone in her home village.

"No, it can't."

I groaned. "You've got to be fucking kidding me. What the hell does he want now?"

"Didn't say. But we **all** have to be there. **Now.** "

* * *

 **Cliffhanger! Finally, I get to use the thing I love pulling on people! If there's one thing I enjoy in a story, it's a good cliffhanger. I haven't had many up to the point I have written. I should change that.**

 **I'm sorry for this chapter being late, but winter break...has made me so lazy. Yeah, that's my excuse. Sometimes I get burned out too and just find it tough to do much of anything. I feel like both happened at once over break, but I'm getting my mind back together. Plus with college starting back up next week, maybe I won't be so lazy anymore.**

 **Oh, and thanks for the favorite and follow VengfulRaptor! Makes me glad I noticed those went up because I haven't received emails about that stuff for this story.**

 **So, what does Orochimaru have planned? You'll just have to wait and see. Yes, I'm evil. Just like Orochimaru. But I love being evil when it comes to writing.**


	13. 13

**Well. It's been...a while. A month. I managed to last that long. But then he found out I had been neglecting this. Now he's just standing behind me to make sure I share this part. Damn you, O-Lord Orochimaru. Damn. You.**

* * *

We rushed to get back as quickly as possible. I wasn't about to test Lord Orochimaru's patience. Plus, Kidōmaru would probably drag my ass back himself if he had to. When the three of us got back, we met up with Jirōbō. "You know what's going on?" Sakon asked.

"No," the fatty replied with a shake of his head.

"Of course you don't," I sneered. "Why would a dumb fatso like you know anything?"

"Oh, enough already, Tayuya," Kidōmaru groaned. "I've heard enough of your complaining for the next several months."

"Don't care," I replied, sticking my tongue out at him. Yeah, I had annoyed him the entire way back, but what else was I supposed to do? "Why can't that bastard just tell us what he wants us for?"

"I'd watch that mouth of yours if I were you," someone replied from behind me in a scolding tone.

"Oh, shut up," I groaned. I didn't have to turn around to know who it was. Stupid four eyes. "Do you know what he wants?"

I turned around just to see him smirk. Figures. "I do."

"Then why don't you tell us?"

"Sorry, but I am under strict instructions not to do so."

"Oh, fuck y-you know what, I don't care." I did care, but I wasn't going to tell Kabuto that. "Just show us where he's at so I can ask him myself...please," I added upon seeing the look on his face. Something told me I didn't want to test him at that moment.

He led us to the room where I had fought to the death a few months ago. He left us there, and we went inside. This time, we were the ones on the overhang. Lord Orochimaru was down there with someone I hadn't seen before, wearing an outfit similar to ours. Despite his silver hair, he couldn't have been much older than us. Just who was this kid? "This is the earth curse mark," the boy stated. "With this, I can become a part of you, Lord Orochimaru."

"Come. See the truth of the world through my eyes, Kimimaro," Lord Orochimaru said, as much of a charismatic, manipulative bastard as ever. "It all could be ours. Yours and mine. Will you come?"

"Yes," this boy, who must be Kimimaro, responded with no hesitation. _Great, another idiot who follows that bastard like a lost puppy dog._

"Excellent. I knew that I could count on you. You're my ideal vessel." _Vessel? What does he mean by that?_ "That mark is a gift from me. I do hope you like it."

As if sensing our presence, Kimimaro then turned to face us, green eyes looking us over before saying, "You obey me...or you die. Which do you prefer?" The audacity! What made him think I'd obey **him**!? I already barely obeyed Lord Orochimaru, and that was only because he could easily kill me in a heartbeat. This kid had a lot of nerve speaking to us like that.

I glanced over at Sakon and knew how he would react to that before he even responded. He wouldn't just follow this guy with no complaints. "How about...neither one?" He effortlessly vaulted the railing, fully intent on bringing this big shot down. Kidōmaru was quick to join him, with fatso and me hot on their heels. Each of us used the curse seals, wanting to finish this with as much power as possible. This Kimimaro's, though, was different. His skin darkened, his eyes turning black and gold with black markings around them. Huge white spikes, which I later realized were his **bones** , jutted out from his back, and he grew a thick, long tail that swished behind him. _What the hell?_ This wasn't normal, especially of a curse seal.

The fight didn't last long. None of us knew what Kimimaro was truly capable of...until he literally ripped his spine out of his body and started fighting with it. _This guy just gets weirder and weirder._ Fatso was the first to go down. Figures the weak fatty would lose so easily. Kidōmaru was next. He tried going in for a strike while Kimimaro was still focused on Jirōbō, but was stopped by bones rupturing from Kimimaro's fingers and pelleting spider boy. I had stayed back, knowing close combat wasn't my strength. Plus, with how quickly fatso and spider boy went down, it wasn't a good idea. I quickly pulled my flute out, hoping to bring him down with my genjutsu. I hadn't even gotten a note out before his spine-whip was wrapped tight around me, preventing me from playing. I struggled to get free, only to see Sakon rush by me, three legs poised to strike. At first, I thought he had hit, until he was thrown back into me just as I was released from the spine's confines. Before either of us could retaliate, it struck us both, sending us back to where Kidōmaru and Jirōbō laid exhausted.

"Pathetic," Kimimaro spat as his features returned to normal, not having a single scratch on him. He was obviously disappointed in how easily he defeated us. "Is this the best a team of four can do? Now then, I'll ask just once more. Which do you prefer?" Sakon and I glanced at each other. I wanted to keep fighting. I wouldn't be brought down by the likes of him! Sakon, though, shook his head slightly, as if he knew what I was thinking. What the hell was he doing, giving up like this? Why!? I wasn't about to argue with him now. We didn't have the luxury of time to decide. Turning to face him, we bowed our heads, silently giving him our answer. "Very well. As of now, we're the Sound Five."

I waited until our new "leader" was gone before I stood up, glaring at Sakon. "What the hell was **that**?" I snapped. "We could have taken him! He was only winning because we didn't know what he was gonna do!"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "Even if we knew, what good would it have done? It's clear he's stronger than us."

"So what? You know what, I don't care," I added before he could answer. "What I want to know is what was with that Kimimaro guy." I turned my glare from Sakon to Lord Orochimaru, because if anybody knew what that transformation was, it would be him. "Curse seals don't do that...unless there's something you're not telling us."

Smirking at my obvious ignorance, he said, "The earth curse mark, one of my strongest curse marks. It is also upgraded to the second stage."

"Second stage?" Sakon asked, curious. "What's that?"

"Currently, your curse marks are only in the first stage. However, the mind awakening pill can power up your curse marks to the second stage. With it, your power will increase as your body mutates. However, you will have to die once to-"

"Die!?" I interrupted. "Are you fucking insane? Do you actually think I'd even consider that? Like hell I would! No. At least last time there was a chance of survival! But definite death? Count me out! Though I'm gonna guess we don't have a damn choice, do we?"

"Are you quite done?" Lord Orochimaru asked, his disapproval apparent.

"Not yet," I said, just before flipping him off with a shit-eating grin on my face. " **Now** I'm done."

He rolled his eyes before continuing, which amused me for some reason. "'Tis only a temporary death. While one of you takes the pill, the rest of you, along with Kimimaro, will be using the Four Black Fogs Formation. It will keep the body suspended in a false death while it becomes accustomed to the change. I am giving you a choice as to whether you accept or refuse."

"You're giving us a **choice**?" I asked dubiously, before laughing at the absurdity. "I doubt it. Knowing you, you'll just force me to do it like last time, whether I like it or not."

"I could, but no, you do have a choice. After all, I know you will accept my gift this time."

"You think so? Well, then…" I said, pretending like I was **actually** considering it, "fuck no."

"What?" Kidōmaru asked, having gained back some of his strength while resting. "Are you just doing this because Lord Orochimaru is saying you will? Because, if so, that's stupid."

"I'm not."

Sakon stared at me, confused at my blatant refusal. "Tayuya-"

"Don't even, Sakon!" I snapped at him, before turning around and storming out. I didn't want to hear it from him, not after that stunt he pulled earlier with Kimimaro. I'll admit, I **was** doing this mostly out of spite. Lord Orochimaru was so sure I would go through with it? Well, I was gonna prove him wrong. He didn't know me as well as he thought.

No.

Way.

I'd be lying though if I said Lord Orochimaru's offer wasn't tempting. Like before, I wanted that power. If I could take it, I'd be able to kick Kimimaro's ass and maybe even beat Lord Orochimaru (wishful thinking, I know). But, at the same time, I wasn't dying to be one of his experiments, especially when it quite literally was going to kill me. I just...I could **not** believe it. Power so strong that it'd kill me just to get? It wasn't gonna happen. I didn't like the idea of putting my life in Lord Orochimaru's hands. Yes, I see the irony, considering he already dictates the rest of my life, but still. I wasn't going to do this. And nothing was gonna make me change my mind.

"The roof again? You're just so easy to predict."

I didn't even bother to glare. "Piss off, Sakon! I'm not in the mood."

"You never are." He sounded almost disappointed. Not that I gave a shit.

"Whatever. Why are you here? And don't fucking tell me it's because of that curse seal bullshit! Because I'm not listening."

"We both know this is-"

I stuck my fingers in my ears, tuning him out. "Blah blah blah, curse seal bullshit!"

"This is our only shot at-"

"Yada yada yada-"

"Tayuya-"

"I can't fucking hear you!"

"Tayuya, listen to me!"

"No! I won't listen to you spew out that nonsense of how the curse seal is the greatest thing in the fucking world! You don't get it!"

"No, **you** don't get it!" That shut me up. I had never seen Sakon so pissed off before. "You're always so stubborn and narrow-minded! You refuse to even try and accept anything that you don't like without giving it a chance! So just shut up and let me finish!" When I didn't snap back a response immediately, he smiled. No, not a smirk, an actual smile. I felt a small bit of my pride return knowing that I was the one to bring that out of him, even if I was still ticked off by this conversation. "This is our only shot at getting revenge against him. We can't win the way we are. Hell, we couldn't even beat Kimimaro as a four man group with these curse marks!"

"Only because we're shit at working as an actual team," I remarked.

"Fair enough, but even if we did, we still would have lost. No amount of confidence can change that. But think if that power he had could be **ours**. We won't die from this. Well, not permanently. But isn't it worth it? Kimimaro was much stronger than us, and if we do this...I bet the two of us could beat him with powered-up curse marks."

I huffed, knowing exactly why I felt a sense of deja vu. "You said that **last** time about being able to control them. What makes you think this will be any different?"

"Because this time it's true." He stood up, that smile still on his face. "Just give it some thought." Without another word, he jumped off the roof, probably to head back inside with the others. Not that I cared. No, I didn't care. Not one bit. So why did I find myself wondering?

"I won't do it," I muttered into the darkness. "I won't."

So why the hell did I show up the next day to do just the opposite?

 _What the hell is wrong with me?_

Jirōbō, of course, said nothing. Kidōmaru sneered. "You finally come to your senses?"

"Shut the fuck up, spider boy," I snapped with a glare. "It's none of your damn business."

"Tayuya, you shouldn't use that-"

"Oh just shut up already, fatso!"

"It doesn't matter. The point is we're here, for whatever reason," Sakon interrupted, smirking as if he believed his words had influenced me. They didn't. No way in hell. So why the fuck did I change my mind after I was so against it before?

You know what, I know what you're thinking. Underneath this "tough girl act", which **isn't** an act, I actually care for Sakon. Let me put that to rest. I don't. I don't care what you might say. It's not true. Not one bit.

Yeah, I call him by his actual name rather than a demeaning nickname. But "two-headed freak" doesn't work as well as "fatso" and "spider boy" do. Okay, there was the few times I called him "fairy boy", but he had taken it as a fucking compliment. Ugh.

I know he's the one I tolerate the most crap from. But only because he let me do what I wanted at the beginning. He, unlike the others, didn't try to keep me in line. That's it. That's the only reason I tolerate him.

He told me about how he likes this situation about as little as I do, I get that. He also said I'm the only one he's told. Yeah, what a load of bullshit. I'm sure he's told the others too. I can't be the only one.

Yes, I realize that I changed my mind about taking the second stage of the curse seal after talking to him. So what? That's not what changed my mind. It was...you see…

Oh...fuck. That **was** it.

Was I **actually** starting to like that loser?

Whatever. That wasn't important right now. What was important was that I was about to make the most stupid, not to mention suicidal, decision ever. The four of us entered the room. Lord Orochimaru and Kimimaro were already in there waiting for us.

Before the guys could even say anything, I pushed my way forward and snapped, "Just give me the stupid pill. I wanna get this done and over with before I change my damn mind." He held the bottle out to me with a smirk that said: "I told you so". I took the bottle from him and shook a pill out of it. Handing the bottle back, I stared at the pill. I could have walked away, and that would have been the end of it. But I didn't. Instead, I shoved that thing in my mouth and swallowed before I could change my mind again. I was gonna do this, with no regrets. Why? A lust for power...and a certain two-headed fairy boy who was the only one here who gave a shit about me despite my pissy attitude.

* * *

 **I swear that being late to post this wasn't the plan. It all started with my physical health. I had just gotten back from vacation fully ready to work on this until my health decided to punch me in the gut. Literally. And then...well, let's just say the depression lurking in my soul decided to pay a visit and my motivation ran away from me again. Either that or it was just burnout from trying to get chapters edited on time while also writing new ones and other stories on top of that. Or maybe college starting up again. Who knows. Alas, my own wellbeing takes priority over writing, even if deep down I want nothing more than to keep this going. I do apologize for this longer than anticipated as well as unexpected** **delay. I'll also be honest, I almost didn't post this in time because I was playing Pathfinder with a group of my friends. Whoops.**

 **Anyway...yeah, that's all I've got to say. Hopefully, it won't take me as long to get the next part out. Admittedly, I'm running out of parts now, since there's two more with just editing needed. I am working on writing out the sixteenth part, and I do hope to have that completed by the time I get part fifteen out. Emphasis on hope.**


	14. 14

**Odd...he isn't bugging me about updating this. It's weird. Usually, he would have gotten on my case by now. I guess I should share this next part anyway...though what if this is his plan? Using some kind of reverse psychology bullshit to get me to share...? You know what, I don't even want to think about that.**

* * *

It has to be said. Dear god that fucking **hurt**! When Lord Orochimaru said it would kill me, he wasn't kidding. It made receiving the curse seal the first time pale in comparison. Crazy, I know, but it's true. I don't think I need to explain how each of us went through the same ordeal. Plus I don't like remembering the pain from that anyway.

Though, now that I think about it, maybe I should share this one thing, something that might help make sense of a particular later event...or two. It was after I had once again woken up, still in terrible pain and in total darkness. _Where the hell am I?_ I tried to move, but even with how painful it was to do anything, I couldn't move much. For a moment, I thought it might be another of those weird dreams like I had upon first receiving this damn curse seal. I continued to push at the walls, a weird growing sensation forming from my head. Finally, when I had almost given up on getting out, the walls burst outwards. I groaned, pushing myself to my feet. My vision was blurry as fuck, though not enough to miss that Lord Orochimaru was in the room. "What the hell do you want?" I half asked and half snapped, clearly not in the mood for whatever this was. I just wanted to lay down and sleep the pain away.

Even with my blurry vision, I could feel his glare on me, which I now knew could literally paralyze you in fear. "Do not take that tone with me," he hissed.

"Sorry, Lord Orochimaru," I replied immediately. I blinked, confusion written all over my face. Where the hell did **that** come from? And I had said it with no hesitation...or sarcasm. _What the hell is wrong with me?_ I couldn't figure it out for the life of me. Had death somehow changed me? No, that didn't seem right. Or maybe...oh god. The curse seal. Did he do something to it with that pill? Or while I was out cold? Or maybe...did it just do this **naturally**? I had no idea, nor did I want to know. There was nothing I'd be able to do about it now, no matter which of those was true.

"Better." Oh, how I hated that word. I didn't miss the deja vu from my escape attempts when he'd say that when I was trying to escape and had relented. I hated that one stupid word, just because of that. "Since you're awake now, you **will** help with the rest of your teammates." He paused as if awaiting some response from me. I only nodded, not trusting my own mouth after the words that had just come out of it earlier. "Good. Oh, and do not let your feelings get in the way," he added, almost like an afterthought. _My what!?_ I didn't have a chance to ask what he meant by that because, when I looked back up, he was already gone. Not that I needed to ask. I had a guess, and I didn't like it one bit.

He **knew**. He knew that I was starting to like Sakon. No. I didn't want him knowing that! Not after I had been making it very clear over the last few months that the only reason I was still there was that it was either stay or...well, I'll let your puny imaginations figure it out. It was simple. I had to prove him wrong. I didn't like Sakon. Even if my heart knew I was lying to myself.

I would soon realize just how much easier that was said than done.

When I went back into that same room the next day, what Lord Orochimaru had said suddenly made sense. It was Sakon's turn to get his curse seal upgraded. "Finally awake?" Sakon asked as he saw me come in.

 _No, I'm **totally** not awake...I'm right in fucking front of you, dumbass,_ I thought, but didn't say out loud. Instead, I muttered, "Sadly." Hey, it was the truth. I didn't want to be part of this, but if I didn't, Sakon would probably die, and it would be for real rather than being only temporary.

I expected him to instantly go for the pill, which is why I was shocked when he turned to me and said, "Hey, stay with me when I'm dead. I don't want to be alone when I wake up."

I facepalmed, partly from the sheer stupidity of it and partly to hide the blush I knew was creeping up my face. "What a complete dolt," I muttered.

He looked insulted, almost like he truly wanted me to stay with him. He said nothing, turning back and taking two of the pills with a smile on his face. Without a moment to lose, he and Ukon, who woke up just for this, swallowed the pills, the former still smiling. _How the hell can he be so happy about this?_ Their death screams were painful for me to hear. I wanted nothing more than for them to stop, to make the pain go away somehow. I shook my head to clear my mind. I had to focus. "Tayuya, put him inside. Hurry!" Lord Orochimaru snapped when I didn't instantly move.

It took me a moment to understand what he meant for me to do, but I quickly realized he wanted me to put Sakon inside the barrel that I hadn't noticed. He was testing me, I was sure of it. Seeing if I could do it, despite those "feelings" he believed I had. "Why couldn't fatso be the one to do this?" I grumbled to myself, picking Sakon up and gently putting him inside. I blamed any redness on my face to being pissed at Lord Orochimaru.

Before I knew it, it was all done. The rest of the Sound Five, me among them, performed the Four Black Fogs Formation and Sakon was safely sealed inside the barrel, undergoing whatever changes the curse seal was doing to him. The others left, leaving me alone in there. I stared at the cause of my troubles, my mind a chaotic mess as I tried to decide what to do. I couldn't just leave him, well, them, there alone. Not after Sakon had asked me to stay. Sure, if I left, it could make it appear like I didn't care. But, at the same time, it could look like I was trying too hard to pretend I didn't care when I really did care. And yet, if I stayed-

 _Damnit, why am I overthinking this so much?_

Ultimately, I did stay. Deep down, I knew Lord Orochimaru wouldn't be fooled by something so obvious. There wasn't a point in trying. I could deny it all I wanted. Say that I had absolutely no feelings for Sakon. That I hated his stupid guts, there was nothing between us and never would be. Yeah, what a load of bullshit.

I waited, and waited, and waited. My mind drifted back to when I had done this over Setsuko. The similarities were almost unnerving, except at least I knew how Sakon was doing. I tried thinking about anything else other than the dead body beside me or the dead body in the past behind me. But, no matter how hard I tried, my brain was determined to cause me misery.

I was nearly asleep when I heard a thump from behind me. I jumped as the barrel that I had been leaning against shook slightly. "Let me out of here!" Sakon screamed, sounding terrified. I rushed to rip the tags off the top, annoyed that I could only go one at a time. They were tough to pull off. The whole time, Sakon was pounding away and screaming, only making my task even harder from the constant shaking. With the last tag finally free, I pulled up the top. "Tayuya?" Sakon asked, looking up at me with a face that wasn't his own.

I knew it was still him, but his appearance had changed more than just the black markings from the first stage. His hair was longer and his skin was a dark brown. There was a horn-like thing coming out of the left side of his forehead, and as he grinned upon seeing me, I realized his teeth were like pointed fangs. His eyes were what scared me the most, though. They were completely black except for the yellow of his iris. Yellow...kind of like-fuck. Like Lord Orochimaru. _Had I looked like that too?_ I hadn't even bothered to check before, and now I really didn't want to know. "Yes, it's me, you idiot," I said, relieved to see him still alive, even if he looked like a monster.

"I didn't think you'd stay."

"Let's just say we're even from when I found out I slaughtered my village. Deal?" I asked, holding out my hand for him.

"Sure," he replied, grabbing my hand to pull himself up. He didn't immediately let go at first, but upon the look on my face, he reluctantly released my hand. "Thanks, by the way. I've...never liked being in enclosed spaces. We're claustrophobic. Ukon's even worse."

"Worse than someone screaming bloody murder?" I asked, smirking to hide the fact that I had been frightened by his terror.

"Yep."

"Then let's just hope I never have to see or hear that," I said, thinking how it wouldn't ever happen. After all, when would **that** kind of situation ever happen again, and especially with Ukon rather than Sakon?

* * *

 **Oh, how that last sentence hurt to write.**

 **And how did I go yet another month without updating? First, it was one in January, then the last one exactly a month ago from today. Has time really gone that fast? I'm so sorry, everyone. Truly I am. With that said, I'm not going to promise to have an update next week. Also, next week is the last one I had already written, so the regular updates would have stopped altogether anyway.**

 **I'll be honest when I say that my motivation for this story has kind of hit a roadblock. I didn't even update this one at all other than checking over it with Grammarly. Like Tayuya, I kind of felt...obligated to update this. Like I have to acknowledge my own existence somehow, even if no one else bothers to do so despite disappearing for an extended period of time (no, this is not directed at anybody through FanFiction, I promise!). I do have some plan though on how to get back into this, especially since college is definitely a big thing here too. I think what I'll do is post the next chapter next month (if only to keep the continuous one-month time gap in between my updates), then once finals are over and I don't have to worry about college until September, I'll hopefully have the time and motivation to continue this story. I do want to continue it; it's just that life is saying otherwise.**

 **That's all I have to say. See you guys for an update in April with my favorite chapter of this story. This one _will_ be worth the wait, or at least I think that it is. Until next time.**


	15. 15

"No wonder you always go out here. It's a pretty good view. And I'm not just talking about the scenery."

I rolled my eyes at Sakon's not-so-subtle attempt of flirting. He had taken to coming out here with me ever since his curse seal had been upgraded. I had yet to tell him to go away, so he kept coming. Not that I was about to tell him I enjoyed his company, or his stupid attempt to try and flirt, which was kind of cute. I turned to him, face deceptively neutral. "Sakon?"

"Yeah?"

"You suck at flirting."

"Hey, at least I'm better than some people!" he snapped defensively.

"Oh, yeah? Name one." He stuttered, trying to come up with some name. How someone this terrible at coming up with a simple lie could fool Lord Orochimaru of his loyalty I have no idea. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

"Oh, come on! Give me some credit for trying!"

I laughed at that. "Pretty lousy try, if you ask me."

He huffed before looking away, staring up at the sky. "I wish I was like those clouds," he stated.

"Don't tell me some corny shit like it's because you wish you were free to go wherever, like them," I mocked.

"No. They go where the wind takes them. They don't care what happens to them."

"They're also not alive, birdbrain." Hey, just because I was starting to like him doesn't mean I was gonna stop being me.

"I know that! It's just...god, this place sucks."

"You're just now figuring this out?"

He sighed at that. "You don't get it, do you?"

"What the hell am I supposed to get? The fact that even though we want nothing to do with Otogakure, the Sound Five or Lord Orochimaru, we're still stuck here?"

"Not just that. It's just...I envy Kidōmaru sometimes. Hell, even Jirōbō. They've accepted serving Lord Orochimaru. How long will it be until we cave in?"

Of course, Ukon had to butt in at that moment. "Knowing us, probably never. Who can blame us though? Just because we're inseparable doesn't mean we want to be bound to someone else." He turned to me and whispered deviously, "Though I think my little brother wouldn't mind being with a certain someone if you know what I mean." Well, if I hadn't already been convinced they were identical twins, I wouldn't have guessed that they both had terrible flirting skills and were about as subtle as exploding fireworks in a night sky.

"Sh-Shut up!" Sakon responded, a blush creeping up his face. Wait...that flirting from before wasn't just Sakon being completely stupid? Did he...did he actually like me too? No way. Who would actually like someone like me anyway? I was, for lack of better words, a complete bitch. I was constantly calling everyone names, was rude beyond belief, and never showed him any hint of actually caring about him or his feelings. Why would he even like me after I treated him like crap?

No. I didn't want to think about that. I turned my attention away and stared up at those clouds, my mind going back to the old days as I said, "Setsuko and I used to watch the clouds sometimes when we were younger."

"Your sister?" he asked.

"Yeah. She'd point at all the clouds and tell me everything she saw in them. She could see a shape in every cloud. Me? I don't see much of anything. I thought it was stupid. I miss those days sometimes, and I wish I could just have one more day. Even if it was staring at some dumb clouds and having to listen to her ramble on about each and every one of them."

"Hmm...well, I see one. Right there," he said, pointing up at a random cloud. It looked like every other cloud to me: a blob. "It kind of looks like a muffin."

"A muffin?" I blurted, snickering. "That's a dumb one to think of."

"No, look at it!"

"I am. I see nothing."

He grinned like a five year old happy about his latest discovery and wanting to show it to everyone. "The top part there, the part that's bigger than the bottom? That's the top of the muffin. And then that down there-"

"I get it, I get it! I know what a muffin looks like!" I groaned. I looked at it...and it did kind of look like a muffin. At least, it did now. "Why a muffin though? That just seems, well, random."

"My mom used to call my dad her precious muffin, or sometimes her muff muff."

"Muff muff?" I asked, baffled.

"It was her cutesy nickname for him…until she died, of course," he said sadly.

"Oh…" We sat in silence for a while, before I broke the silence on a sudden impulse. "Hey, Sakon, can I ask you something?"

"You already did, but go ahead," he responded, smirking.

I rolled my eyes and facepalmed, but continued anyway. "Would you be my muff muff?"

His eyes widened, and he sputtered, trying to come up with any response. Finally, he blurted, "Wh-What?"

"You heard me, and I'm not repeating myself. Yes or no?"

"Yes, obviously!" he said happily, pulling me into a sudden hug.

"Get off me, you lug!" I snapped. He pulled away, clearly upset by my response. "It's not you, idiot. I just don't want anybody else knowing, even if Lord Orochimaru already knows."

"He...he does?" he asked, face suddenly pale.

"Yeah, unfortunately," I muttered.

"...shit." I stared at Sakon, kind of understanding what he was thinking but not knowing at the same time. "Before you first woke up from the curse mark...I tried to escape. It was just the one time, but I wanted out. I didn't want anything to do with anyone here except Kidōmaru, but he wanted to stay. I left him there and ran. When Lord Orochimaru caught us, he told us that we would grow to like this place and the people in it. I didn't tell him how he was wrong only because Ukon told me to hold my tongue. I went along with what he said, and obviously didn't try a second time, but I never believed him...until now."

"God, I know that feeling," I groaned, before asking something that had started to bother me. "When did you figure out you were starting to like me, anyway?"

"Hmm? Oh...during one of the times you escaped. I can't remember which one. And Kidōmaru."

"What the fuck? What does spider boy have to do with this?"

He looked away, seemingly embarrassed. "We both have feelings for you. That fight for being the leader was more than just for that. It was also for who was allowed to love you."

"You two are idiots. Why didn't you just ask when you first figured it out?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I thought you'd punch me or something."

I smirked. "Don't give me any ideas," I said, lightly pushing him.

"Hey, watch it!" he said.

I smirked. "Remember when we first met? That was the first thing you said to me. And then I snapped back at you to watch where you were standing!"

He laughed at that. "Yeah...if only Lord Orochimaru wasn't in the picture…"

"Well, why don't we just take him out?" I suggested.

"Wait, seriously?"

"Yeah. You said it before. The two of us, with the curse seals? Especially now. Why not?"

"I...I never thought you'd agree. You like doing things by yourself."

"Sure," I admitted, "but maybe, just this once, I didn't want to do this alone? So, should we do it now?"

Sakon shook his head sadly. "No...it'll have to wait for a few days. I have a mission to go on now. We can work the details out when I get back and get our revenge against Lord Orochimaru."

"Oh, okay…" It felt weird, being disappointed over something like that. Was this how people felt when they loved someone so much that they'd miss them when they weren't there? Even if it wasn't for very long? It was such a weird feeling, one that didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. "I'm gonna head in, then. I'll see you when you get back, my muff muff," I said with a smile. He smiled back, a smile that I wished could be there every moment. I watched him leave before I hopped off the roof, heading back inside. For once, I was truly happy in this hellhole.

"Well, isn't this interesting? You and muff muff."

I froze up, glaring as I saw none other than Kabuto approach from around the corner. "Oh, you and that glare. So terrifying...not." He pretended to yawn as if bored of my glaring, before continuing. "Who would have thought? You and Sakon actually liking each other. So similar in personality, yet his loyalty to Lord Orochimaru should have made you hate him. Though, maybe he's not so loyal after all?"

I continued to glare at him. Even I could tell something was up. He was trying to get to me. Rile me up and make me say something stupid and reveal how Sakon wasn't as loyal as he appeared. I wasn't gonna fall for it. "What the hell is this all about, four eyes? You just here to rub it in my face that I actually like someone here?"

"No, though I do like seeing your reaction to muff muff."

"Shut up," I growled.

"I don't have to listen to a brat like you," Kabuto responded with a smirk, "though you should probably listen to me."

"Not a chance in hell. Why would I ever listen to you, asshole?"

"Because, if you don't, I might just spill your little secret to Lord Orochimaru."

I narrowed my eyes. There were many secrets that he could be talking about, but only one really came to mind, and so what? "What secret? He already knows that I like Sakon. What else could he know about that would make my life any worse?"

He shrugged. "Oh, I don't know...perhaps your little plot with Sakon to try and kill Lord Orochimaru?"

"Wh-What!?" I snapped, suddenly terrified and trying to hide it from him. Yes, for once, I was actually afraid of four eyes, and of what all he might have heard. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't act like you don't know. I heard everything, girlie. Lord Orochimaru may have patience, but if he found out about that plan of yours, he wouldn't hesitate to kill you faster than you can even say muff muff."

"Shut up."

He continued on, ignoring my words. "Or maybe he'd use you for one of his experiments...I wonder which one would be worse to you? I think the latter. You'll wish for death, yet it'll never come."

"Shut. Up!"

"Though, maybe he'd let you live...and go for your precious muff muff instead."

"I said shut up!" Fists clenched, I rushed at him to punch his fucking face in, but of course, he blocked it with no effort.

"So predictable. Like a broken record. You know, this could remain a secret between us...if you just behave and do as you're told."

"You've got to be fucking kidding. Me, listen to you or that bastard Orochimaru?" I asked, making sure to put emphasis on the name to show my complete lack of respect at that moment. I knew it would tick him off.

It worked, but not in the way I expected it to. He glared at me, that damn chakra from the last time I fought him flaring from his other hand. "You should show respect for your master," he said, his tone making it clear that I shouldn't argue with him. "Remember, if you show disrespect I'll break something."

But who was I to ever listen to anyone else, especially a four-eyed bastard like him? "He's not my fucking master!" I snarled.

I didn't even have a chance to react before he slammed the chakra scalpel into my arm still caught in his grip. I cried out in agony, and not just from my supposedly broken right arm. The curse seal chose now to try and take control of me. Familiar jagged lines were snaking their way down my arm, and I knew the same was happening on my face. No way was I going to let it win! It took almost all my willpower, but I was able to regain control over it, the lines receding. "Really? That curse mark says otherwise," he shot back with a smirk, enjoying every second of my misery. "Listen, bread crumb-"

"Bread crumb?" That threw me off. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

He chuckled, which was more unnerving than anything. "Bread crumb. The stuff at the bottom of the loaf that people toss away, letting it rot into nothingness."

"I know what bread crumbs are, you idiot. What does that have to do with this?"

"You're useless like them. All you've done is complain like a little brat. How could anyone possibly love someone like you?" My eyes widened, and, snarling, I threw a punch with my other arm. He ducked, grabbing my arm with his hand, the chakra still covering it. Groaning, I pulled back, pain radiating both arms now. "Did I touch a nerve?" he asked innocently, an innocence that I knew was nothing more than a sham. He knew he had, and he clearly did not mean all the nerves he had probably damaged with that chakra scalpel. "Alright, let's say this murder plan of yours somehow succeeds, or, since it'll never work, you and your muff muff run off together. Do you really believe he'd stay with such a selfish, arrogant brat like you?"

"Stop it."

"No. He wouldn't. He'd move on and find another girl who actually cares about him and doesn't constantly hurt him every day. Do you want to know why he would ever consider being with you?"

"Enough already!"

"Because you are both stuck here! And there's nobody better here. You're it. So you might want to reconsider on killing Lord Orochimaru if you want any chance with muff muff." He turned to leave, but before he did, he added, "Remember, behave yourself, little girl. Or I'll tell Lord Orochimaru all about this."

"I am not little!" I yelled as his back. He laughed at that, leaving me behind to think over everything that happened. This whole situation scared me. Here I had wanted nobody to know about this, and now the worst person who could know had enough information to hold my life and Sakon's in his hands. That damn four eyes was even worse than fucking Lord Orochimaru! I never would have expected to actually be terrified of Kabuto, but here I was, proving myself wrong. How had the tables changed so quickly? Before, the only thing I had felt towards four eyes was hatred. But now...now here I was, bending to his will. I had no choice. If I had to obey and behave to save Sakon, then I'd do it. I wouldn't let him suffer because of me. Even if it meant listening to those bastards.

* * *

 **This part showed me that my most absurd, and sometimes best, ideas come to me during late times of the night. It all started on August 29, 2018, where I was trying to figure out how the nickname "muff muff" logically happens. And the whole thing with them watching the clouds and Sakon's pointing out one that looks like a muffin came to me...at 11:40 PM.**

 **Skip ahead a bit then to September 8, 2018. Once again I'm writing, and I think the note I wrote is good of explaining my thoughts: "Kabuto teasing about muff muff, possibly getting Tayuya to actually follow Orochimaru by messing with her mind (saying that, if her and Sakon were to get away from Orochimaru, Sakon would never stay with Tayuya)". This idea came during a slightly less ungodly hour of 10:45 PM. But I think I've made my point.**

 **This one was by far my favorite one to write, and not just because Kabuto plays a major role in this chapter. This was the first part that alone went past five pages in my word document. I was pretty proud of myself, as it was a personal achievement for me. I have since surpassed that with this version's chapter 9, but still. I never thought I could logically achieve anything past 4 pages back then, but I proved myself wrong with this one. My form of writing in Tayuya's perspective is hard to get the length I would like, especially when she's not exactly detail-oriented. This story has been more trying to write as if I am the character as opposed to fleshing out the story and being descriptive. Granted, you can conceivably do both, but Tayuya just isn't the type of person to write eloquently.**

* * *

 **With all this said, this was the final full part that I had written. If I'm being honest with myself, I had lost the motivation to write this story. I just am not into Naruto as much as I was when I started writing this all that time ago. I may come back to it one of these days, but as of now, this story is on hiatus. I am so sorry to anyone who actually enjoyed my little mess here, and if I do come back to this I hope to make it even better.**

 **Until next time,**

 **-YlvaWolf**


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